TMNT Girl
by ChibiLover123
Summary: Summary inside. This is my first time using an actual mutant turtle, so be nice! I hope you like it!
1. Season 1:Chapter 1

TMNT Fanfic

This is along the series of the 2003 series, so don't be mad if it isn't very good...I haven't done one of these before...

Imagine being a female mutant ninja turtle, with four brothers just like you. Not only does she have to live with a growing feeling in her heart, but some weird whackjobs who seem to LIKE a shell...

RaphOC

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Caterina was tuning her electric guitar when Mikey appeared before her, and she jumped.

"MIKEY!!!"

She hit him upside the head, putting her guitar on its stand.

"Whatcha' doin', Cat?"

"Tuning my guitar." She answered softly, standing up.

"What kind of guitar is that?"

"Epiphone Les Paul Standard Guitar Top, Vintage Sunburst." She answered, smiling.

"…I think you love this thing too much…"

"I think you love video games too much." She countered lightly, punching him on the arm.

She grabbed her book on Renaissance artists, opening it to the section on a female Renaissance artist, Caterina van Hemessen.

"Don't touch the Les Paul unless you've got $400 to pay for another when you break it."

Mikey jumped away from the guitar, noticing his white-banded sister hadn't even lifted her eyes from the book.

"…You're good…"

"I try."

Caterina was much like her brothers, only smaller and not as heavily built. Her fingers were finer, better with shuriken and kunai, but she had a large chest behind her plastron that sometimes made her uncomfortable.

Her smaller shell didn't exactly help, either…

She was the lightest skinned of the five, with a dark, intricately patterned shell.

"Raph, look!"

Caterina looked up, and jumped to her feet when she saw Mikey holding her guitar.

"I'm a rock star!"

"…Shell for brains is more like it…"

"MIKEY!!!"

Cat ripped it away from him with a glare, putting it down.

"I told you not to touch it!!"

"I don't break everything I touch!"

She sighed, pointing to her old amp, which had the imprint of his shell on it.

"Oh…that was Raph's fault!"

"Don't ya go blaming that on ME!"

"But it WAS you!"

Cat only shook her head as Raph tackled his youngest brother, and turned when Splinter called them for training. She followed her brothers, trying to ignore Mikey's energetic antics, and quickly fell into the meditative state of mind she used when training.

She pulled out her blades, handles with blades running parallel with her forearm when held properly, as they hid in the shadows.

Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael…

She only watched as they missed, and moved silently, not a sound being made as she moved closer, lifting her blades. The white handles felt reassuring against her palms as she crouched, watching as Leonardo jumped down, cutting the candle in half and catching it on his blade.

She jumped over her, cutting the wick and extinguishing the flame before he stood up.

"Too slow, Leo." She commented, twirling her blades and putting them on her belt.

"Well done, my daughter. You have mastered the art of silence and invisibility."

She blushed, saying, "I'm not that good…Leo did better, seriously…"

"Stop being modest, Cat!"

She smiled humbly as Mikey put an arm around her shoulders.

"That was cool! Could you teach me how to do that?"

"Maybe when you stop touching my guitar." She answered, shrugging off his arm with a soft giggle.

When the ground started shaking, she braced herself, seeing the floor and walls start breaking. She pulled out her blades, looking at the strange robots as they ate through the stone.

"What are these things?"

She sliced one open, jumping back as one tried to bite her foot.

"Whatever they are, they'll be scrap metal now!"

She sighed as Raph skewered one on his sai, when the ceiling started to cave in.

"Master Splinter?!"

"Cat, watch out!!"

Raph pulled her back, and a piece of ceiling barely missed her head. When the shaking stopped, and the robots were destroyed, Cat jumped into the rubble and started trying to rip them off.

"Master Splinter?! Master Splinter, are you okay?!"

"Cat, relax!!"

She watched nervously as Don used his Shell Cell to call Splinter, and relaxed when she heard his voice on Speaker. He instructed them to meet at the old drainage junction, and Don pulled out a map.

Cat put her guitar and small amp into a bag, slinging it over her shoulder.

"…Ya seriously takin' that?"

"Of course! I'm not leaving a $400 vintage guitar here to be eaten!" She said crossly, grabbing her book and putting it in the bag before following her brothers out.

"These walls are really compromised. It's amazing the ceiling hasn't collapsed-."

Don cut himself off when he looked ahead of him, and Cat sighed.

"You were saying, Donnie?"

"If we can't go forward, and we can't go back, let's just go up."

Cat turned to see Raph on a ladder nearby, ready to climb up to the manhole above.

"Raph!" She called sharply, making him stop.

"It's too dangerous to go topside! What if someone sees us?" Leo questioned, standing next to the ladder.

"We're ninja! We're just gonna go to the nearest manhole and go back down!" Raph argued.

Cat shrugged.

"It shouldn't be a problem. I'll follow him." She assured Leo as Raph started climbing again.

She followed close behind, and jumped into the shadows of the alley immediately. She stayed put until a couple cars passed, and followed Raph across, hiding behind a car as an armored truck parked in the alley they were heading for.

After people got out and went into the building, they went to check out the manhole, but a tire was over it.

"Just great…" Cat muttered, trying to think of a way to another manhole cover, when Raph kicked the armored car.

"Very stealthly, Raph." They heard Mikey tease, when they heard the people coming back.

Before Cat could hide, Raph grabbed her arm, pulling her into the back of the armored car. As she gripped the ceiling, watching the thugs throw in duffel bags, she would occasionally glare at Raph with a look that said 'GREAT hiding place, Raph! Maybe my foot will find a great hiding place up your shell!'

When the door was closed and the truck started moving, Cat fell silently to the floor with the same fluid flexibility of the feline her nickname represented, and looked out the rear window.

She was ready to hit him when the car, after speeding for a few minutes, stopped in a back road and the men got off, leaving one to guard whatever was in the bags.

"Nice one, Raph. I think we should leave finding the hiding places to ME from now on."

"Look, I'm sorry! I panicked!"

"Really? Oh, I didn't notice!"

She smacked him upside the head.

"I think I know that, shell for brains!"

She turned back around to see Mikey knock out the guard and Don start working on the high-tech lock. Mikey was teasing Raph through the protective door, when Don unlocked it.

Raph tackled Mikey, and Cat shook her head as she jumped down.

"It's good to be outta there."

She turned down to the mouth of the alley, and tensed.

'Just GREAT…'

She pulled out her blades, twirling them a moment before holding them defensively.

"You're going down, freaks!"

Cat widened her base, feeling anger prick at her senses, trying to turn everything red.

'No…I won't….'

"Why are ya wearing turtle costumes, anyway?"

"It ain't Halloween!"

'Maybe 'cause we aren't, ya shitheads…'

They attacked at the same moment, and it was fairly easy to beat them.

"Hope there are more of those guys." Raph commented, looking on edge.

Cat looked up at the rooftops as a feeling pricked at her senses, setting off an alarm in her head.

"Are those…ninja?"

Her brothers followed her gaze as the ninja jumped down to surround them.

"They're certainly ninja-esque…" Mikey answered, whipping out his nunchucks.

"I got THAT much…"

"Be ready for anything, guys." Leo ordered.

Cat twirled her blades, smiling.

"How hard could this be?"

She did a forward flip over some ninja, and did a simple split kick before rolling away on her shell.

She dodged a katana blade, doing a back flip as she kicked the offending ninja's hand.

"You've gotta do better than that!"

She blocked a nunchuck, and kicked the ninja in the chest before jumping away. Her brothers didn't seem to be doing so well, and she hit one ninja unconscious with the butt of her blade before blocking the shuriken heading for her younger brothers.

"Thanks, Cat!" Mikey greeted, jumping to fight some other ninja as Don went into the armored car.

"What are you doing, Donnie?" Cat asked as she punched a ninja in the chest, and kicked one coming from behind.

"You'll see."

They all grouped up around the armored car when it turned on, and Don called for them to jump in.

"You heard the turtle!"

Cat grabbed Mike by the shell, pulling him in as the armored car started speeding away. She closed the doors, still jumping a bit from the rocky driving, and sat down.

She put down her bag, and leaned back.

"If they messed with my guitar, there would've been shell to pay…" She muttered as she tried to pull the stiffness from her shoulders.

"Can I touch it?"

"Do you want to keep your hand?"

Mikey got the message, smiling sheepishly.

"Good choice…"

Raph looked through the duffel bags, and poured out the money from one.

"…You can't be serious…"

"YES!!! Show me the green!!"

Cat hit Mikey upside the head as Leo took the money from his hand.

"This isn't Finder's Keepers, Mikey."

"Awwwwwww…"

Don drove by a police car, and Cat almost laughed as Leo and Raph threw out the money at them.

"The looks on their faces was PRICELESS…" She said with a smile, sitting in the passenger seat as they drove down to the sewers, getting to the old drainage junction to see Master Splinter there, surrounded by the wreckage of more strange robots.

"Master Splinter!!!"

They surrounded the elderly rat, relief washing over them to see he was alright.

"It's time to go home, my children."

Quizzical looks washed over all five turtles, and they looked at each other before Cat said, "But…our home was kind of…ya know…destroyed…"

"I believe I have found a solution to that problem, my daughter…"

He jumped down a hole in the floor, and Cat shrugged slightly before jumping down after him. When she landed, she was quick to move before her brothers came down, making a pile.

"Come on, guys."

She followed her sensei, looking around curiously. When they walked through, she looked wide-eyed at all of the space.

"This-Is-AWESOME!!!"

She jumped up to the second floor, looking at all of the rooms, ignoring Mikey as he called at LEAST two as his own. She looked around, marveling at all the space.

'I can get used to THIS…'

She jumped down to the main floor to join her family, when Splinter suggested they all pitch in to clean up the place.

"Awwwwwwwwww…"


	2. Chapter 2

"Mikey, why are you putting in so many TVs?" Cat asked as she plugged in her amp and guitar.

"This needs to have ultimate entertainment capability!"

Cat rolled her eyes.

"Can't it just be a normal TV?"

"Since when are WE normal?"

"Speak for yourself." She countered as she looked at the robot parts Don had salvaged.

Splinter, on the couch, asked where Leo and Raph were.

"They went to get the rest of the stuff from the old lair. With the Sewer Slider performing the way it is, they should be back any minute now." Don answered, looking at all of the pieces.

"Then I'll just sit back and wait for them to bring Old Betsy back…"

"'Old Betsy'? Have you finally lost it, Cat?"

Mikey looked at her like she was crazy, and she glared.

"My acoustic guitar, nimrod. If those Mouser's tried to eat it, they'll have to deal with a really pissed off turtle." She muttered, and looked towards the door when Leo and Raph drove in.

"Hey, Cat! Yer guitar survived!"

She caught the acoustic guitar that Raph threw, and glared.

"You should be careful with this! It's wood!"

She held the guitar protectively, almost like a child, before setting it down. Mikey got his DVD collection, and turned on the TV to the news. It was on StockTronics or something, so Cat wasn't really interested.

When she heard her brothers surprised gasps, she looked up, her violet eyes widening as she saw a robot on the screen.

"A Mouser, huh? How can anybody pass THAT thing off as a good thing?"

"I say we go get this Stockman guy!" Raph fumed, stabbing a screen.

"Raphael!!"

Raphael winced as a walking stick hit him on the head, saying they weren't to leave the lair.

"Awww…"

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Cat waited in a crouch, weapons drawn and glinting in the light.

'Attack fast…'

She moved in as fast as she could, but her weapons were blocked by the wooden stick and she was nearly kicked in the stomach.

"Work on your strength, Caterina."

She nodded, trying to focus her strength into her hands before running in again. She was knocked off her feet, and groaned.

"You must balance speed and power, my daughter."

"Got it, sensei…" She groaned, putting her weapons on her belt.

She sat up, having difficulty thanks to her shell, and saw Splinter go to his room, saying they'd resume practice in the morning. She shrugged, getting up and grabbing Old Betsy.

She started playing the music to 'No One', since that was one of her favorite songs to play. Don went back to the Mouser he was rebuilding, and Mikey went to watch TV.

She looked up suspiciously when Raph said he wanted to go to bed, not missing a beat in her song. After a while, she put her guitar on its stand and headed to the kitchen, smiling softly as she saw Mikey sleeping on the couch.

She grabbed a doughnut, and was about to head to her own room when she saw a shadow moving towards the door.

'Raph…'

She followed silently, and appeared in front of him.

"Going for a walk, bro?" She asked, taking a bite of her doughnut.

"Cat…"

"Calm down, hot-head. I'm not gonna turn you in."

She smiled.

"I'm just kinda disappointed that you were about to leave without me."

She tensed, the smile dropping from her face.

"Hey, Leo…getting some air?" She asked sheepishly, turning to look at her blue-banded brother.

"Cat…"

"What? I wanted to meet my brother out here! No big!"

"…You're not the best at lying…"

Cat pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, at least I could tell you were there, so HA!" She said defensively, when a Mouser ran past her.

"…What the shell?"

Don and Mikey ran past, saying it was headed back to the source.

"Come on, then!"

She ran after her brothers, speeding up steadily. She moved steadily over a wet pipe ahead of her brothers, and sighed when the stupid robot started climbing up the wall.

She pulled out her shuko spikes, following it up into a pipe.

"Hurry up, guys!" She called down.

When her brothers caught up, the robot started eating through some pipes and went through the wall.

"…You didn't shut off its mouth, Don?"

"I'm sure I did!"

She shook her head slightly, ready to follow the Mouser, when she heard a groan of metal.

"Uh oh…"

"What?"

She looked at her brothers sheepishly.

"Hold your breath."

"Why?" Leo asked warily.

"Our little friend weakened a major water main…it's gonna break…"

At that moment, water flooded the tunnel, and they were swept away by the current. When they flew out into the air, Cat grabbed a pipe with one hand, holding on tight as she grabbed Don's hand.

Soon, they were a line of turtles, holding on for dear life.

"I think I should start lifting weights or something…" Cat moaned, her arm weakening.

She wasn't strong enough to hold up all five of them for very long, when Mikey started swinging.

"Mikey!!"

Her arm started failing, and they all flew at the wall. She was lucky enough that her shuko spikes stuck in the stone.

"My arm is sore…thanks, Mikey…"

"Hey, we're alive, aren't we?"

"…You won't be alive for long…"

They headed back to the tunnel, following the robots obvious path. They follow the robot-made tunnel to subway tracks, and saw it a couple tracks away.

A subway raced past, the Mouser on the back, and Raph jumped on the roof of the next one, his sai in the metal.

"…He's nuts…" Cat muttered, running after the train and grabbing onto the back.

Her other three brothers followed, though she had to help Don on. They jump off when they see the Mouser run off, and run through a short tunnel before she stopped.

"…We've got some more company…"

More Mouser's were popping up, and Cat took a step back before grabbing her blades.

"Let's get 'em, then."

They started breaking them apart, but they're sturdier than the last batch, though it's no problem for the turtles with blades. Once they were all finished, a female scream bounced off the walls, and their heads snapped in the general direction of the noise.

They followed it down some tunnels, and found a red headed woman being attacked by Mouser's.

'Not THIS time!'

The robots were easily disposed of, and they were still mainly hidden in the shadows, so she didn't know they were turtles…until Mikey decided to show her…

The poor woman fainted, and Cat hit him upside the head.

"OW! Sorry…"

Mikey picked up the woman, and smiled innocently at his siblings.

"Can we keep her?"


	3. Chapter 3

Cat watched patiently as April started waking up, saying something about sleeping watching TV, when she saw her brothers. She started freaking out, and Cat was ready to try and calm her.

"It's okay, seriously!"

The woman just put a pillow over head, telling herself she was asleep.

"…This isn't going to well…" Don noted.

"We don't have much experience talking to humans! This will just take some time!" Mikey reasoned.

"Maybe if you weren't such a knucklehead, she never would've fainted!" Cat stated, looking at the woman when Raph decided to be his usual blunt self and ask her outright about the Mouser's.

'THIS won't end good…'

She answered a bit at first, before realizing she was talking to a giant talking turtle, and thinks she's dreaming.

She seems just a TAD nuts, and Cat sat down on a chair.

"Not MY fault she went nuts!" She defended when Leo glared at her.

Cat only groaned as Splinter made his presence known, making the woman faint.

'Just GREAT…'

She grabbed Old Betsy, and started to play 'Chemicals React' as the other fussed about what to do. She just waited for the woman to wake up again, and used her patience to its fullest.

When she DID wake up, Leo made her some tea, and she calmed down enough to feel it was POSSIBLE they were real.

After getting through that she won't tell anyone they exist, Splinter tells the turtle's origin story and how he chose their names.

"Still got the book, too." Cat added, smiling.

"You like that stuff too much." Mikey commented.

"Don't make me bring out your comic book collection, wise guy."

"No!! Not the comics!!" He said with fake drama.

"Why you little-!!"

She smacked him upside the head, and he gave her the puppy-dog eyes.

"Don't mess with me."

Mikey whined softly before turning on the TV. It was the news, talking about a bank robbery.

"Looks like our little metal friends have decided to go above ground." Cat commented, hands on her hips.

April explained that she used to work for Stockman before she found out what he was doing. She'd been chased by those Mouser's until they'd saved her.

"Well, ain't he a jerk." Cat muttered.

"Let's go shut down Mouser central! Permanently!"

"Yeah, let's go and get shot at!" Cat retorted sarcastically.

"But StockTronics has the highest in security technology…" April said uncertainly.

"We have our own secret weapon! Meet the Techno Turtle himself, Donatello!!" Mikey cheered with a big grin.

"Can we go now? PLEASE?"

Cat smirked.

"Well…he DID say please…"

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They were walking stealthily through the sewers when April spotted an alarm.

As her and Don disarmed it, Mikey said, "Alarms in the sewer? Is this guy paranoid or what?"

Cat just smacked him over the head as they got into the ventilation system. They opened a vent, seeing a hallway with a lab across.

"If you guys can get me in there, I can create blank spots in the security system." April stated.

"No prob." Cat assured, jumping down.

She moved to the door, seeing it was locked, as April came down and went behind her. Cat pulled out a kunai, picking the lock expertly.

"Must be easy for you."

"Just skilled, I guess." Cat replied, opening the door.

April ran to the computer as the other turtles came in, and got into the computer.

"I'm making blank spots all along that corridor! Just keep moving!"

"We'll be right back…"

They were down the corridor in an instant, running to the lab. It was dark, but Cat strained to see through the darkness when lights snapped on.

"Intruders?! Here for MY secrets?! You will leave here with nothing!! Not even your lives!!" A voice echoed, and Cat slid into a defensive stance as she pulled out her blades.

"…Those are laser guns, aren't they?"

"…Yup…"

Cat dodged a laser beam, blocking another with her blades. Don jumped on one, using it to shoot two others before pulling out wires and jumping off, making the machine explode.

They started heading to the control room, and Cat jumped up on a support beam, swinging up to the glass as Mikey did the slingshot with Raph. They both landed on the edge, breaking through the glass with their weapons.

"You're not going anywhere, Stockman." Cat warned as the rest of the turtles entered through the broken glass.

"Wha-What are you?!"

"The shells don't give it away?" She retorted sarcastically as April came in.

He moved to the keyboards, pressing a button before Raph stopped him.

"You're too late! I've recalled the Mouser horde!"

'Well DAMN!!! THAT isn't good!!!'

She looked out through the glass, seeing the Mouser's come in as April and Don tried to shut them down.

Cat gripped her blades tighter before she realized Stockman was in an elevator, and cursed as the door closed in her beak.

"Why that stupid son of a-!!"

She rubbed her beak dejectedly, and backed away as the Mouser's came in. She was ready to slash them apart as she backed up, knowing they had to protect Don and April until they could shut the robots down.

With her shell against a chair, she held out her blades defensively, when the robots suddenly stopped. A confused look crossed her face before relief took hold.

"Good job, April! Stupid little buggers!"

She kicked one for good measure, when a panicking April looked at all of them.

"I couldn't shut them down, so I initiated an overload sequence!"

"Which means…LET'S GET THE SHELL OUTTA HERE!!!"

They started running out, Don helping April get to ground level, and were lucky enough to get out of there before it blew sky high.

"WHOA!!! Let's do that again!!!"

Cat answered in her own way…by smacking Mikey upside the head…

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They were watching the news, the reporter saying how strange it was that StockTronics blew up and that Stockman disappeared.

"Well, what are you gonna do now, April?" Cat asked, holding her cup of tea gently.

"I'm not really sure…" April answered truthfully.

"We'll help you get back on your feet." Don offered.

"Thanks, guys."

"No prob." Cat assured, holding up her cup.

"Here's to the new team!"


	4. Chapter 4

Cat watched Mikey and Raph spar, nearly giggling at the minor insults thrown. When Raph broke a table, worry gripped her heart, and violet eyes softened as she stood up.

"Raph…you okay?"

Mikey was still milking it, when Raph stood up, lost in his rage and holding a metal pipe.

"Raph!"

He tackled the youngest turtle, holding the pipe over his head threateningly.

"RAPH!!!"

Cat grabbed his wrist, pulling back with all the strength she could muster.

"Stop, Raph!!! Don't!!!"

He seemed to get a grip of reality as Don checked on the orange-banded turtle, guilt flashing through his eyes.

"Raph…are you okay?" Cat asked gingerly, trying not to set him off all over again.

He was the strongest of the five, and the fact that she was weakest in physical strength meant she wouldn't be able to hold him off if she was knocked off her feet.

"Mikey…Cat…I…I-I…"

Guilt-ridden, he broke free of her now-comforting hold, running out.

'Raph…'

She sighed, looking at her other three brothers and sensei before grabbing her own weapons, and headed out after him. She followed him over the rooftops, silent as a shadow, when she saw him stop to look at some thugs mug a woman.

He was about to intervene when a guy in a hockey mask went in instead, beating them down. He was about to beat them near senseless, but Raph intervened the way Cat had before, by holding back the arm holding the bat.

He got smacked away as the punks ran off, the vigilante close behind. Raph returned the purse, though she ran off in fear. Raph went after the guy, and Cat followed in the shadows, worried about him fighting this guy.

A well-placed hit to the head could be fatal, and she wasn't about to let that happen. She always felt strangely close to her red-banded brother, but she never really knew why.

She saw Raph catch up to the guy, who was busy beating the thugs again before Raph tackled him. She saw the Purple Dragons get away as her brother tried to reason with the guy, but it didn't seem to be getting his thick skull.

It's soon obvious Raph reaches his limit, kicking the guy into a wall, and rips off his mask, making Cat tense. He seemed to get a hold of himself, though, helping the guy to his feet as he reasoned with him.

When he pulled up a bat, Cat was there in a moment, blocking it with her blade.

"Now THAT ain't nice!!"

She moved the bat off course, putting away her blades.

"Whoa! That's the biggest rack I've ever seen!"

She hit him upside the head like she would Mikey, blushing.

"Watch your mouth before I make you!"

Raph seemed pissed again, only more protective, pulling her a bit behind him.

"What? Is she yer girlfriend or somethin'?"

Cat blushed, looking at the ground as Raph glared.

"Whatever."

The guy ran off, but Raph stopped when he saw Cat hadn't moved.

"Cat?"

She didn't seem to hear him, lost in her own thoughts.

'Why would someone say that? Do we really look like we belong together? Not that I don't mind, it's just-. Do I really love him? Maybe…I don't know anymore!'

"Cat!"

She jumped slightly, looking up with misty violet eyes lost in thought.

"We goin' after 'im or not?"

She shook the thoughts away, nodding. She followed him, and looked down an alley uncertainly.

'Someone's there…'

She cursed softly when Raph moved into the light there, and a motorcycle engine started abruptly. She tackled Raph out of the way as the man tried to run him over.

"If you want a rematch, meet me at Central Park on Friday night! Later!"

He drove off, and Cat got up slightly, shaking the pain from her head.

"…Cat?"

It was probably the embarrassment in his voice that made her pay attention, but embarrassment soon made her cheeks flush and her heart thud so hard she felt faint.

She got off, feeling self-conscious.

"Um…W-We should head back…"

She helped him up, trying to ignore the tingling feeling she felt shoot through her when their hands touched.

"Yeah…let's go…"

She smiled awkwardly, leading the way to the nearest manhole cover and they headed down. The way back was filled with an awkward silence, and they went into the lair.

Raph seemed guilty, apologizing to Mikey.

"Okay…who are you, and what have you done with Raphael?" Leo joked.

Cat sighed, shaking her head.

"That's not even the half of it, bro."

"Why don't we talk about this over dinner?"

"NOW you're speaking my language!"

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They decided to head out to find this vigilante before he got himself into trouble, moving through the dark lair as silently as possible when the lights were turned on.

'DAMN!!'

"Oh…hi, sensei…" Cat greeted sheepishly.

"I have told you five not to go up! You could be spotted by humans! But, as a man once said, 'Why walk when you can ride?'"

"…What do ya mean, sensei?" Raph questioned.

Splinter took them up to the warehouse, saying, "Take the truck."

Cat smiled, looking at her brothers.

"Come on, then! We've got until Friday to make this thing turtle ready!"

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"This thing is great!" Cat stated, smiling at their work.

It was Friday night, and she was ready to head out already. They all got in, and Don drove the Battle Shell to Central Park.

They saw the man drive by on his motorcycle, and Cat turned to her purple-banded brother.

"Speed up a little, Don! We need to catch up to him!"

"Raph can do that! I made a little something for him!"

Raph moved to the back, seeing a red motorcycle.

"I call it the Shell Cycle." Don said with a grin.

Raph put on one helmet, and was about to get on when he saw Cat grab a white helmet.

"Cat-."

"I'm coming and there's nothing you can say to stop me." She said sternly, sitting behind him.

Raph blushed as she wrapped her arms around his chest, pressing her own against his shell.

The Shell Cycle burst through the rear doors, and the red motorcycle sped off after the masked vigilante.

"Hey, slow down!" Raph ordered as the motorcycles raced side by side.

The red-banded turtle pulled the brakes on the vigilante's motorcycle, making him flip off. Raph stopped the bike a few yards away, and smirked.

"Get ready, Cat."

"Okay."

He sped towards him, jumping off to tackle the vigilante as Cat immediately pulled the brakes, making the motorcycle skid to a stop. After some reasoning, Cat walked up, her helmet under her arm, to hear Casey explaining what the Purple Dragons had done to his father.

Everything seemed a bit more friendly, with the two playfully insulting each other and punching each others arms.

"…You're both weird…" Cat muttered, and dropped her helmet when they were surrounded by Purple Dragons.

She grabbed her blades, glaring at the thugs. That's when the Battle Shell drove up, the other three turtles jumping out the back.

"Let's beat these guys, then!"

Cat found it humorously easy to beat them. She didn't even break a sweat.

Punch-Kick-Dodge-Back Flip-Sweeping Kick-Uppercut.

She smiled at her handiwork, saying, "Now that THAT'S done…"

She turned to Casey and Raph.

"Ya know, ya may be a turtle, but ya really do have a nice rack."

He got a fist in the face, and Cat growled.

"Stop looking at my chest, ya pervert!"

"What? Think yer boyfriend will be jealous?"

She blushed, saying, "Just stop being a pervert!"

"Leave 'er alone, Casey!"

"Maybe I don't wanna, Raph!"

They started fighting, and Cat couldn't help but think that Raph was doing it for her…

"He's YOUR brother." She heard Leo tell Mikey.

"No, he's YOUR brother."

"No, definitely YOUR brother."

She giggled.

'Definitely MY brother…'


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, April! They're ready to work!" Cat said jokingly, walking in to the antique shop.

"Hey! YOU'RE working, too!"

"Yeah, Raph. I have the upper body strength to lift a cabinet by myself!" She said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Exactly!"

She sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Sarcasm is a foreign language to you, isn't it?"

"Hey!!!!"

Cat ducked, Raph's swing missing, and she smiled up at him.

"Too slow."

She caught hold of his wrists before he flipped over her shell and into a cabinet full of china, and eventually stood up. She leaned on the counter, looking around, when she saw Raph trying to lift a cabinet all by himself.

'Loveable oaf…'

She would've offered to help, but Casey was already there. April, worried, tried to tell them to be careful, when the antique china fell out, shattering on the floor.

'…That's not good…'

April seemed pissed, REALLY pissed, and Cat decided that doing something might protect her shell from a thrashing.

She didn't want to be Raph or Casey at THAT moment…

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"Thanks for coming, guys. I'm just nervous. That jewelry store robbery was right on my block!"

"It's no problem, April." Cat assured, sitting back on the couch, snuggling into a blanket.

They started off the night with a movie of Mikey's choice, and Cat was eventually asleep on the couch, her head on Raph's lap.

She woke up with someone softly shaking her shoulder, and opened her eyes to look up at her red-banded brother with sleepy eyes.

"Raphie…what is it?" She asked sleepily, rubbing her eye cutely.

"There's noises downstairs. Come on."

She nodded, shaking away the sleep, and followed her brothers. They jumped down to the alley, and see a huge robot, a man hiding behind it.

"…Whoa…am I still sleeping?"

Cat rubbed her eyes, shaking her head for good measure, and looked up.

"Guess not…bloody shell…"

She jumped back when it tried to punch her, and slashed at it as it tried to follow her. She tried to go for the head, but it smacked her away, her shell smacking into a wall.

"Ow…"

She sat up, shaking the pain away before standing up.

'My back's KILLING me…'

She moved forward more carefully, when Don used his torch to burn the robot. A shrill scream of pain made Cat flinch back as the robot smacked the purple-banded turtle into a wall.

"Don!"

She ran to her brothers side, and saw the robot knock the others away, grabbing the man it was with and running off. April ran out, and saw Casey with a trash can, obviously in pain, as Don found a piece of MOVING metal.

"…That is the weirdest thing I have EVER seen…"

They went into the antique shop, and Don checked it out under a microscope.

"They're nanobots."

"…Weird…"

"How do we stop them." Leo asked.

"They have a specific energy signature…we can use the tracker in the Battle Shell to track them down."

"But how do we BEAT it." Cat questioned, remembering the robot.

"The nanobots seem susceptible to extreme heat."

"If that's all, then let's go!"

They piled into the Battle Shell, and headed off.

"What's with people and the junkyard? Seriously…"

Don stopped the Battle Shell where the robot was supposed to be, but it was nowhere in sight.

"This doesn't seem good…" Cat muttered, holding her blades tightly.

"I've got a BAD feeling about this…" Mikey agreed, when the robot jumped over a pile of trash, hitting Cat into an old car.

"…Ow…"

'Damn robot! I'm gonna turn him into scrap metal!'

She got up, seeing it had made itself bigger, MUCH bigger.

'Well DAMN.'

It grabbed Mikey, twirling him around, and throwing him into a pile of trash when Cat stabbed its wrist.

"Do we have a Plan B?" Cat asked as she jumped back.

"Yeah! Come on!" Leo ordered, and they got into the Battle Shell, driving off.

It grabbed them, and the Battle Shell can't seem to go fast enough to break free.

"Distract it until we're in position." Leo ordered as Raph and Cat get on the Shell Cycle.

"Yeah, WE'VE always gotta do the crazy stuff…"

"Better than doing the boring stuff." She countered lightly before the Shell Cycle burst out the rear doors, distracting the robot enough to release the Battle Shell.

As the robot chases them, Cat grips her red-banded brother tighter, fearing he'll speed up too fast and she'll fly off and get eaten by the huge robot lumbering after them.

He maneuvered the robot in front of a crusher, and Mikey rams into it with the Battle Shell, making it fall in. When it was crushed, Cat looked in.

'I think we won…'

But the robot turned back on, coming out.

'Shit!'

"Go, Raph!!"

The Shell Cycle moved out of the way before they were crushed, but the robot seemed happy enough to give chase.

'Damn thing!'

"Hope you've got a Plan C, Leo!" She said into the communications device in her helmet.

"Plan C at twelve o'clock!"

She was relieved when she saw the magnetic crane grab the robot, and the Shell Cycle stopped. She saw Don in the crane, when the man ran up, cutting the power.

The robot fell in a searing hot liquid, dying, and they all get into the Battle Shell and drove off before the police get there.

Cat sighed, leaning back on her seat.

"…You know…I kinda feel bad for him…"

"Me, too." Mikey agreed.

"He was like a little kid…"

"Too bad he had such a rotten parent." Don added.

'Yeah…we're just lucky, I guess…'


	6. Chapter 6

Cat was happy enough to just do simple tricks on her white and pink skateboard, but when Mikey dared her, she could do the best moves like the rest of them.

She sped ahead of her youngest brother, daring him to go faster, and flew through the air off a ramp, landing on the ground safely. She flipped her board into her hand, and sat down on the couch as her brothers still sped around.

Splinter sat down, ready to watch his program, when all the power went out. There were crashes, since the boys were startled by the sudden darkness and rammed into each other.

"It looks like a blackout…" Cat noted calmly as Splinter lit a candle.

"Go see what caused it." He ordered, and they nodded, grabbing their sports equipment and running out.

"Were we supposed to go topside?" Cat asked as they stood on a tall water tower.

"Can't be too thorough, Cat." Raph answered.

'Only 'cause you wanted to go topside…'

"This whole side of town is dark…" Don noted.

"But shouldn't there be emergency power or something?" Leo asked.

"Its pitch black down there!" Raph added.

Mikey smiled.

"In that case…"

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Cat grinded along a railing, doing a 180 before landing.

"Should we really be doing this? What if someone sees us?" Leo questioned worriedly.

"No one CAN see us! Its pitch black!" Raph assured.

Don stopped beside them, saying, "Look up there."

They followed his gaze, and saw some ninja breaking into the museum.

"…Who's ready for some payback?"

They followed them in, and saw them breaking into a case holding a sword.

"Whoa, there!"

A kunai embedded itself in the wood in front of the black clad ninja's hand.

"Sorry, but we don't take kindly to thieves." Cat said with a smirk, twirling a kunai in her fingers skillfully.

She sighed when more ninja made their presence known, and held the kunai tightly.

"Let's get this over with."

She threw the kunai, grabbing her blades and jumping on her board. The board made her faster, and she enjoyed the new tricks she could make up while fighting.

She jumped over a foot ninja, hitting him in the head with the butt of her blade, and landed on her board again as he fell unconscious. She couldn't help that this was fun, when she saw Leo getting ganged up on.

'Well that isn't fair!'

She sped up, but was able to clear the turtle pile as her other brothers crashed.

"Nice…" She said sarcastically, and looked around.

"The ninja are retreating!"

One last one was still in reach, grabbing the sword with a metal glove.

"Yer not going anywhere!" Raph threatened.

The ninja lifted the sword, sending a shockwave that sent the five turtles flying back.

"Ow…"

Cat glared as the ninja disappeared with his comrades, and groaned in pain.

"Master Splinter won't be too happy about this…"

They headed home, and Mikey showed the symbol he'd gotten from a ninja he'd defeated to Splinter.

Everyone was asking questions, but Splinter didn't answer, and told them not to go topside and seek out these enemies. Don went to his computer, typing fast.

"There's more than one way to seek out your enemy…"

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Mikey was reading comic books, stuffing his face with chips, as Leo and Raph trained and Cat played simple tunes on her Les Paul guitar.

"I say we go and find out this stuff for ourselves instead of just waiting around!" Raph fumed, and Cat sighed.

"We can't…we'll get grounded…AGAIN…"

Raph growled, but he didn't say anything to contradict her.

"Hey, guys!"

They all turned to Don, who was still sitting at his computer.

"I hacked into the power companies computers. There's another power outage at the seaport."

"Then let's go!"

Raph was already heading to the door, but Leo stopped him.

"Master Splinter told us not to go topside!"

"He said not to go search for our enemies, but he didn't say anything about checking out blackouts." Cat reasoned, grabbing her weapons and heading to the door.

Her brothers followed her, and they were soon standing on the top of the Brooklyn Bridge, seeing the darkness spread before them. Don put on a pair of night-vision goggles, and Cat looked down at the dark water.

"How are you gonna survey such a large area?" She asked.

"With this."

He opened a hang glider on his back, and she looked at him in surprise.

"You HAVE tested this, right?"

"Not really…"

"WHAT?!"

But he was already gliding down before she could grab him.

"Crazy genius with the hang glider…"

She watched worriedly, staying near the open Shell Cell Leo was holding, when Don said something about a weird cannon, the sword attached, and two ninja there.

"I'm near Pier 16."

Cat was already moving, hearing him cry out in fear.

'I'm coming, Donnie!'

As they neared the cannon, it sounded like Don was okay again, so her fast pace slowed down a little.

"There's only two…but that just means the rest are hiding…" Leo stated.

They were soon surrounded by ninja, and Cat sighed as she pulled out her blades.

"Sometimes, I HATE it when you're right…"

She jumped up onto the side of a boat, kicking a ninja that followed her before jumping to the wooden floor. She dodged a katana before doing a spinning kick, hitting three in the face.

"Come on! I'm not even breaking a sweat!"

She ducked low as one swung a scythe at her, and did a back flip, kicking them in the chin. She did a sweeping kick, knocking two ninja down and jumping over them.

She backed up to the edge, five ninja cornering her, and smirked, twirling her blades.

"You want to mess with me?"

She jumped over the edge, the ninja trying to grab her, and smiled as she gripped onto the edge with her blades as the ninja fell overboard.

"See ya later, suckers!" She teased, flipping back onto the boat.

"How'd it go with you guys?" She asked, sitting on the edge.

"Better teamwork than I remember." Leo answered.

"Now let's just get to that cannon." Don stated, and they headed to the platform it was on.

"Hey, boys. Don't you think it's dangerous to play with stolen toys?"

Cat was on the edge, hanging by her elbows. The others were on the other edges, and one ninja pulled out a strange device and shot a laser at Mikey.

Mikey was quick enough to dodge, and both Cat and Leo jumped up and kicked the guy. The laser cut through the computer on the cannon, and it started sparking.

'Damn!'

A helicopter came, picking the two men up, and flew off. The cannon turned, pointing to land, and everything started to crumble.

"Don, shut it down!" Leo ordered.

As Don pulled off a panel, exposing wires, the other four turtles tried pushing the cannon to point out to sea. When it started pinning, they were knocked away, and Cat nearly fell over the edge.

"Darn it…what did you DO, Don?"

Leo grabbed a crowbar, jamming it into the base of the cannon, making it stop. Don reached for the sword, but it zapped his fingers.

"OW!!"

Leo handed him a metal glove on the floor, and he put it on before grabbing the sword by its handle. The cannon started sparking as the sword was removed, and Cat grabbed Don.

"Move!!"

They got off the platform, which soon collapsed into the water. They headed home as the police came, and showed the sword to Splinter.

"It is best that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands."

'I guess we're talking about evil ninja, then…'


	7. Chapter 7

"This training is to practice the arts of balance and invisibility." Splinter said, clapping and shutting the lights off.

Cat didn't wobble on the pole she stood on, her mind clear as she tried to make out the elderly rat's movements. She ducked below his walking stick, jumping silently to another pole to dodge a second strike, when Mikey clapped, turning the lights on.

He was nearly hit off the pole he was standing on, and Cat giggled.

"Better luck next time, Mikey."

She jumped easily to the one beside him, helping him up.

"Why is this always so easy for you?" He asked as he fought for balance.

"It just comes naturally to me." She said mildly, shrugging.

She heard the door open as Leo and Raph tried dodging the walking stick, and steadied herself as Casey accidentally knocked over the poles. Hers was still standing, luckily, and she clapped the lights on when she noticed Splinter tackle him.

"Sensei! He's that vigi-I mean, guy we told you about! Remember?" Don intervened, and Splinter got off, apologizing for his rash actions.

"Why'd you come down, anyhow?" Cat asked, moving to her guitars.

"There's graffiti everywhere!"

"…Casey, this is NEW YORK…there's ALWAYS been graffiti…" She answered, looking at him like he was crazy.

"Not like this."

He held up a picture of graffiti showing a sword skewering five turtles.

"…Well, DAMN…" She muttered, hands on her hips.

"Are there more like these?" Leo asked, taking the picture.

"Yep, and they're more graphic."

Cat sighed.

"Well…you should probably head home…we've got training to do…"

"Aren't ya gonna go get back the guys who did this?"

"No. They're just trying to get under our shells. Why let them?" Don answered.

Casey was about to argue when he saw the 'magic' sword they'd gotten, and tried to touch it, getting shot back into a bookshelf.

"Man…he makes Mikey look smart!"

"HEY!!!" Mikey whined as Cat smiled teasingly.

It was when Casey headed to her Les Paul guitar that her smile fell.

"NO!!!!!"

She dove, shielding her guitars.

"You touch my babies and yer dead, Jones!!"

"What? I just wanna see 'em!!"

"Stay back or I'll skewer you, ya nutjob!!"

"Okay, okay! Jeez!"

He turned to Raph.

"Is she always like that with those things?"

"Only if YOU'RE around, bub."

Casey went to their TV set, and got more obnoxious as the hours passed. They kept hinting for him to head home, but he was too hard-headed to get the message, and headed to their player.

It didn't start working, and he smashed his foot on it.

"THAT'S why I won't let you touch my guitars." Cat stated, still holding the guitars so that Casey wouldn't get any ideas.

Casey got bored pretty fast, and tackled Raph. As they fought, Cat put her guitars in her room and came out to hear Splinter tell Raph to take the vigilante topside.

"Caterina will accompany you, just in case."

She groaned lightly.

'Yeah, torture ME…'

She followed the two out of the lair, grabbing her weapons on the way, and endured their trash talk until Casey stopped.

"Spray paint."

She gave him a quizzical look.

"Is that a stupid insult or has your brain finally broke down?"

"No, I hear spray cans."

She moved silently, and saw the Purple Dragons making more graffiti, this one of a dragon eating five turtles.

She jumped down, twirling her blades.

"If you Purple Lizards are so great, why do I keep kicking your asses?"

She smirked, punching one that came at her as Raph and Casey came down.

"Boss, we've got some." She heard one whisper, and kicked him in the face, catching the cell phone and breaking it as Raph and Casey finished the others.

"This guy called for back up, guys."

She turned to the mouth of the alley, seeing two ninja land there.

'These guys are different…are they even human?'

Her eyes widened as they seemed to disappear, and she tried to follow them, getting punched into a wall.

"Ow…"

She sat up, shaking her head before closing her eyes.

'Don't rely on your eyes…they'll only deceive you…'

She stood up, sliding into a fighting stance. Her other senses pricked, ready for even the slightest noise.

'…Left!'

She lashed out with her blade, cutting at the head, and a lens fell to the ground. She tried to dodge a punch, but it got her in the stomach, and she fell to the ground.

"Ow…you guys are fast…"

She ground her teeth before trying to do a sweep kick, but an invisible foot on the chest made her gasp for breath.

'MAN, these guys are heavy!'

She was lucky to have a plastron, or some ribs would've snapped by now.

Raph tried to come to her aid, but the other one hit him and Casey into the metal platform behind them, breaking it down and knocking them both unconscious.

"Raph!!"

She struggled, grabbing the ankle connected to the foot on her chest. She twisted it as hard as she could, kicking at the chest area. They flew back, and she tried to move out of the way as she reached for her blades.

A kick to the side sent her shell into a wall, and she cried out in pain. She glared as the other one became visible and grabbed Raph.

"When my side stops hurting, you're gonna be sorry." She growled, getting up on hands and knees.

She felt a pain in her neck, and cursed as darkness clouded her mind and ate away at her vision.

'Raph…'

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Whoa…where am I?'

Cat groaned as she opened her eyes blearily.

'Torture chamber? Oh, come ON…I need a break, Lord!'

She looked around, shaking the darkness from her mind as she looked at the strange instruments and the table she was strapped to.

"Maybe if I stopped hitting Mikey, God would stop punishing me…" She muttered.

"So you're awake."

She glared at the large man before her, seeing as he was holding one of her blades.

"What are you doing with that? If ya hadn't noticed, that's mine."

"And if you hadn't noticed, I'M the one asking the questions."

"Right, and I'm gonna answer." She retorted sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Don't back talk, or there's gonna be trouble."

"Don't mess with me, or my foot's gonna go up your ass!" Cat shot back.

She didn't flinch when her own blade embedded itself into the table by her head, her eyes hard as it was ripped out.

"You've got a big mouth, so why not use it to answer some questions?"

"Nah, I don't feel like it."

She jumped slightly when a huge fist slammed next to her head, but kept her face void of surprise or fear.

"Don't push me."

"Same to you."

She didn't break eye contact, knowing it would just signal weakness and defeat. A moment of tense silence, her muscles constricting, tensing, ready to move.

Confusion flashed in her eyes when he smirked, and her muscles started to hurt from tensing them so much.

"What?"

"Didn't think I'd meet a girl that would stand up to me…"

"Not like most girls, if you hadn't noticed."

She didn't notice her red-banded brother was in the same room, and waking up from unconsciousness.

"True…"

What happened next was NOT what she expected.

When she felt lips on her own, shock froze her body for a moment before anger took over. She struggled, and became more violent only when a hand settled on her chest.

'Oh-SHELL-No!!!'

Her foot was soon free, and she put all the strength she had into the free limb before kicking him where the sun don't shine. She freed one hand, untying herself before looking around.

"Raph?"

"Cat…I…"

"Let's not talk now." She said sternly, taking her blades and cutting him free.

"Grab your stuff and lets go!"

She grabbed her own Shell Cell, and was at the door already.

"Hurry up already!" She urged, gripping her blades tighter, and kept going once he followed her.

"Great…we're on a boat…" Cat muttered, soon crouching on the railing.

"Come on, then!"

She jumped into the water, Raph close behind.

They moved to the sewers, Cat trying to keep her mind focused on getting home.

"…Cat…"

She slowed down slightly, looking back at her brother.

"Yeah?"

"I…I'm sorry…"

She skidded to a stop, looking at him curiously.

"Sorry? For what?"

"I…I couldn't do anything…"

She tried to smile reassuringly, but it faltered.

"It's okay, Raph…I'm fine…"

"But there was the chance that you WOULDN'T be fine, Cat!"

She shook her head slightly, and grabbed his hand.

"I'm fine, Raph. I can take care of myself."

She squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"Now let's head back before the others worry anymore."

She led him through the tunnels, ending up in a large cylindrical room.

'Bloody shell…'

She felt like they were being followed, and her muscles tensed.

'If its that muscle-bound idiot, I'm gonna hit him so hard-!'

She looked up, seeing Leo and Don wearing goggles as they jumped down, holding their weapons out.

'So we WERE followed…'

She grabbed one blade, and lashed out at someone to her left. As Don and Leo are smacked back, Mikey and Casey ran in from another tunnel, and Cat pulled out her other blade, attacking and dodging as best she could.

Her side and shell still hurt, and the pounding headache didn't help much as it hammered against her temples.

Casey covered a couple with muck, and Cat was happy enough to knock them out. She cut at the chests of two others, disabling the cloaking devices, and kicked them both in the face at the same time.

She stretched her arms over her head, when she heard Casey cry out. She turned to see one holding said vigilante over the raging water below, and grimaced.

"Drop your weapons."

Cat did so hesitantly, as well as three of her brothers, when she noticed something.

'Where's Mikey?'

She looked around, seeing them get surrounded, and looked up.

'Mikey?'

The orange-banded turtle jumped from an overhead pipe onto the ninja, who released his hold on Casey. She moved forward fast, grabbing her weapons before jumping on a metal pole in the water and catching the vigilante.

"Whoa! Thanks, Cat!"

"You owe me! So NO touching the Les Paul!" She joked, trying to pull him up.

She ducked as a ninja flew over her head, and looked up at her brothers with fake anger.

"Hey!! Watch where you're throwing your trash!!"

She jumped up to the ground above, and did a sweeping kick to knock one ninja into the water.

"Man, I'm beat…maybe I should just crash at yer guys place tonight-."

"NO!!!!!!"

Cat was in front of him, saying, "You should go home! I mean, all this excitement would be easier in your own house!"

"Yeah! Nothing like sleeping in your own bed!" Leo added in.

"We'll drive you back! We'll be there in no time!" Don joined in, helping them push him towards the Battle Shell.

"Yeah! We'll even bring you up the stairs and tuck you in!" Mikey added.

'We've gotten pretty desperate, haven't we?'

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"Hun, what have you learned from the female?"

"She is strong-willed and fiery. But I don't believe they even know your enemies, let alone work for them."

"Then they may be of use when it comes to fighting those enemies…"

The thoughtful look on his face lasted for only a few moments before he continued.

"Break the girl, and the others will be easier to bend to my will."

"As you wish, Master…"


	8. Chapter 8

"When will these punks learn that we'll always kick their asses?" Cat asked with a smirk, delivering a jumping kick to one in particular.

"Yeah! Green beats purple every time!" Mikey agreed.

Cat punched one in the face when she saw a young girl with purple hair run off with a bag.

"One's getting away!"

"It's covered!" Raph replied, not pausing in his fighting.

Cat shrugged, delivering a spinning kick to three separate thugs.

"Well, these guys are done."

Cat smirked, putting her blades on her belt before going to see how Casey had done.

"Casey?"

She was soon at his side, a questioning look on her face.

"Either that's one strong little girl or YOU'VE seriously lost your edge, buddy."

"Who was that girl?" Don asked.

"Her name's Angel. Her grandmother told me to watch out for her."

"Is she a Purple Dragon?" Raph asked.

"Not if I can help it."

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Cat was playing her electric guitar as Don was working on something for the Battle Shell. She never felt comfortable when Mikey went up to Don when he was working on delicate stuff, and tensed.

When she heard the engine fire up, her head snapped to the general direction and her violet eyes widened when she saw the Battle Shell racing towards her.

"AH!!!"

She grabbed her amp before jumping over the machine.

"Don!!" She said warningly, as the Battle Shell basically destroyed the lair.

"…It was Mikey, wasn't it?"

Don nodded, moving away from Mikey. Cat cracked her knuckles.

"Mikey, remember what I do to people who threaten my guitar?"

"Um…no…" He answered hopefully, smiling innocently.

"…You're dead…"

"AHHHHHHHH!!!"

He ran away as she chased him, and Don was told that the Battle Shell was no longer allowed in the lair. Cat finally tackled her youngest brother, hitting him upside the head.

"Cat, you want to help me out?"

She turned to Don with a smile.

"Sure!"

She jumped up, and Mikey was right behind her.

"Don't-Touch-ANYTHING!"

They all headed up to the warehouse, and Cat sat on a table drinking a soda as Don kept working on the Battle Shell. She tensed, hearing footsteps outside, and hid in the shadows.

"Raphael?! Caterina?!"

They heard a female voice call through a boarded up window.

'Is that the girl Casey knew? Angel?'

Apparently, her brothers had a taste for the dramatic, so they put the Battle Shell in front of the closed door, turning on the headlights, and waited to open the door.

She shook her head slightly at the effect, and smiled at the girl reassuringly as Raph smirked.

"This had better be good, kid."

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"…Thank the lord I don't have to dress up." Cat said with a smile as Raph and Mikey pulled on the bulky clothes.

"How are ya gonna get in, then?" Raph asked, tipping down his shades.

"Shadows. I'm better at hiding than you guys." She answered, leaning back.

They parked the Battle Shell, and, once Leo and Don were done changing, they headed to the warehouse. Cat hid in the shadows, getting in through the warehouse roof.

She hid among the rafters, the darkness hiding her well as she looked down at the ring directly below her. She tensed, her eyes narrowing as the cage was lowered down.

'Oh great, it's the mountain…'

She saw Casey get lowered, strapped upside-down to a weird table, and saw the thugs get in to get a shot at beating him to bloody, lifeless pulp.

'Hey! That's MY job! And only if he touches my Les Paul!'

She almost smacked her forehead when Leo and Raph went in, but refrained. If she moved her hand like that, she might lose her balance. She moved a little lower, keeping a close eye on the ring, when she saw Mikey, Don, and Angel on the catwalk to her left.

'Be careful, guys.'

When Casey was safe on the catwalk, her muscles relaxed slightly, when she saw Raph get hurtles into the bars, his clothes ripped off. She did smack her forehead with the palm of her hand.

'Smart move, Raph…'

She heard the crowd get angry as the large man from before ripped the door off the cage and lumbered in.

'Oh no…'

She pulled out her blades, and dropped down. With a few quick slashes, some of the bars on top fell, and she landed silently on the ground, delivering a powerful spinning kick to the guy's chest.

She jumped back, holding her blades defensively.

"No need to show us out. I think we can find the door."

She ducked below a fist, doing a sweep kick to knock him on his back.

"Not so easy when I'm not tied to a table, huh?"

She smirked, twirling her blades, when a hand shot out, and a punch to the stomach sent her into the bars, her shell making a dent.

"…Ow…"

She sat up, putting a hand to her head.

"Anyone get the license of the thing that hit me last night?"

She groaned, standing up.

"Didn't think you'd hit that hard…"

She shook the pain from her head.

"I almost thought it was a little kitten…"

She jumped up, dodging another punch.

"Temper, temper. You're almost as bad as Raph."

She was smacked into the bars before she could move, and instinctively struggled when he held her wrists down.

"Don't make me kick you again!" She threatened, ready to do just that, but it felt like they were being pressed into the bars, cutting off the circulation.

'Shit!!'

"What would your brothers do if I broke you?"

"Kick your ass! IF you could!" She retorted stubbornly.

She was surprised when her lips were crushed in a bruising kiss, but it wore off as her anger kicked in.

'I'm gonna kill somebody when I get outta this!'

She couldn't push him off, and her legs had gone numb. She felt a sense of helplessness for the first time, and it ate at her heart, hurting her pride.

'Get off!! Get off-Get off-Get off!!'

She was surprised when the weight was suddenly lifted, and she could breath again.

"Cat? Cat are ya okay?"

She looked at her red-banded brother a moment before her legs failed her, still too numb to hold her up. Raph caught her, and she kept her eyes down shyly. She tried to stand, but the blood was slow in flowing through the limbs, and she nearly fell again. Raph picked her up, and she blushed slightly.

It was when the bars started shaking that her head snapped up.

"Raph, move!"

She used the weight of her shell to push him out of the way of the bars heading towards them, but the heavy iron clamped down on her arm like alligator jaws.

She grumbled something about stupid metal as she sat up, trying to pull the iron off her arm.

"A little help." She stated, seeing Mikey sit up.

"Oh, yeah. Sure."

Mikey tried lifting it off, but it didn't seem to be going so well.

"OW!!! Not like that!!"

She hit him over the head.

"OW!!! Sorry…"

When a shadow was looming over them, her muscles tensed and her heart sped up.

"Mikey, MOVE!!"

She kicked him out of range, and a foot slammed down on the iron covering her arm.

She gritted her teeth in pain, nearly choking on the pained cry that threatened to make her chest burst open.

"Not so high and mighty anymore, eh princess?"

"Shove it up your ass, nimrod!" She spat, wincing as more weight was applied to her arm.

"Hey! Get away from her!"

A shoulder smacked into the large man's side, and he stumbled to the side as a pissed off Raph pulled out his sai. When Casey hit the guy into the bleachers with his baseball bat, Raph turned to Cat, lifting off the iron bars.

Her arm was bruised, with small cuts and gashes from the broken metal from her wrist up to her shoulder.

"Better than I thought it would be…" She muttered, standing up shakily, holding her left arm across her plastron.

The other thugs were starting to surround them, and Don took out the remote, calling the Battle Shell with the click of a remote.

"At least it's not trying to destroy my guitar this time…"

They got in, and Leo drove as Don checked on Cat's arm and Casey and Angel got in.

"You shouldn't try to bend it. It could just make it worse." Don advised, wrapping it up.

When he saw her shaking, he thought it was because he'd unintentionally hurt her, but that wasn't the case. He saw conflicting emotions rage in her eyes like a war…a war for dominance.

"Cat? Are you feeling okay?" He asked worriedly.

She seemed to snap out of it, and tried to smile reassuringly.

"I'm fine. My arm just hurts."

Mikey didn't even seem to buy it, looking at her with worried blue eyes. They dropped Casey and Angel off at her grandmother's house, and Casey was invited in for pie.

Cat didn't seem to hear, sitting in the Battle Shell silently, looking at the floor.

"I wonder what kind of pie it was…"

Cat at least had it in mind to smack her youngest brother upside the head…

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cat was sitting under the grating, looking up at the moon as she absentmindedly strummed the strings on her acoustic guitar.

"Cat?"

She turned to see her brothers there, all of them looking worried.

"What's wrong, guys?"

She tried to smile, but it faltered, and Mikey stepped forward.

"Are you feeling okay, sis?"

"I'm fine. Seriously."

She saw the doubt in their eyes, and turned her eyes to the moon.

"…Is this about…what happened?" Leo asked as Mikey sat next to her on the raised stone.

"…Yeah…" She whispered, stopping her strumming.

"Cat, everything's okay…"

"No…no, it's not…" She cut in softly, making Don look even more worried.

"Then what is it?" Leo questioned.

"…I…I couldn't stop it…when I really needed to be strong…"

She clenched her fist over the strings.

"My legs gave out…my arms wouldn't work…I couldn't do anything…"

"…You couldn't really help it…he's a strong guy…" Raph added in, feeling the pain in his own shell from when he'd been thrown against the bars.

She looked at the ground silently, and Mikey looked like a sad puppy, seeing how sad she looked.

He hugged her, just like when they were little, only, back then, she'd always hug him because he'd had a nightmare.

"You don't always have to be strong, Cat…We're here for you…"

Hesitantly, she hugged him back, and Don smiled before joining in on the hug.

"We won't let you get hurt…"

Leo couldn't resist hugging her reassuringly as well.

"If you ever need us, we'll be right there…"

She smiled softly, and looked up at her red-banded brother curiously.

"Raph…"

He hugged her close, surprising her.

"If he ever touches you again…I'll kill 'im…"

After a moment, she smiled, hugging all of them close.

'I won't give up on you guys…never…'

She looked at her guitar, and smiled.

"I think I've got a song for exactly how I feel right now."

"Is it emo?" Mikey questioned jokingly.

"I don't KNOW any of those songs…they freak me out…"

She shuddered, and put her fingers on the strings.

As the music filled the damp tunnel, her brothers watching as her fingers moved skillfully over the strings, she couldn't resist the urge to sing the words:

[VERSE 1  
We sign our cards and letters BFF  
You've got a million ways to make me laugh  
You're lookin' out for me; you've got my back  
It's so good to have you around

You know the secrets I could never tell  
And when I'm quiet you break through my shell  
Don't feel the need to do a rebel yell  
Cause you keep my feet on the ground

[CHORUS 1  
You're a true friend  
You're here till the end  
You pull me aside  
When something ain't right  
Talk with me now and into the night  
'Til it's alright again  
You're a true friend

[VERSE 2  
You don't get angry when I change the plans  
Somehow you're never out of second chances  
Won't say "I told you" when I'm wrong again  
I'm so lucky that I've found

[CHORUS 2  
A true friend  
You're here till the end  
You pull me aside  
When something ain't right  
Talk with me now and into the night  
'Til it's alright again

[BRIDGE  
True friends will go to the end of the earth  
Till they find the thing you need  
Friends hang on through the ups and the downs  
Cause they've got someone to believe in

[CHORUS 3  
A true friend  
You're here till the end  
You pull me aside  
When something ain't right  
Talk with me now and into the night  
No need to pretend  
You're a true friend  
You're here till the end  
Pull me aside  
When something ain't right  
Talk with me now and into the night  
'Til it's alright again  
You're a true friend [3x

Mikey grinned, punching her arm softly, though it was the uninjured one.

"I think the same of you, sis."

She smiled sheepishly as Don nodded.

'We're more than friends, though…we're family…'


	9. Chapter 9

"…This is disgusting…"

Cat jumped back from the disgusting slime, her left arm in a sling thanks to straining it while it was still injured. Mikey zoomed by on a skateboard, nearly knocking her over.

"Mikey…"

She shook her right fist at him in mock anger, and turned to Don.

"Can I PLEASE sit down now? This isn't exactly helping."

Don sighed, saying, "If you want to…"

She nodded, sitting down on a thrown out couch as Mikey sped around.

'Crazy idiot…'

She looked at the small houses nearby, made of sheets of debris found in the dump by the homeless that live there, and felt bad. They were good people, but their luck wasn't good.

Neither was theirs, actually, but they were better off than living in a dump…though the sewers isn't exactly Las Angeles…

Don thanked the professor for lending them the shopping cart, and the man gave Don an unscathed motherboard and Mikey a near mint condition comic book.

"I also found a keyboard that I thought Caterina would enjoy."

Cat looked up at electronic piano.

"Whoa…didn't think people threw these away…"

She would have carried it, but Raph insisted, and Don gave them warm blankets and clothes. When the professor started on another theory, Cat tuned him out as she looked at the sky, trying to see the stars.

She only noted that Don was going drop a book off, and that Raph said something about there being less people there than before when she snapped back to reality.

The professor said something about the 'Garbageman', and Cat giggled, covering her mouth. They got into the Battle Shell, and Cat leaned back in her seat, looking at the ceiling.

'…What if he wasn't joking?'

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When they were brought back hours later by Don, Cat definitely thought that the professor hadn't been joking.

"Great…NOW what do we do?"

"It's trench coat wearing time!!"

She looked at her youngest brother a moment before sighing.

"Seriously, you're only embarrassing yourself."

He blushed, smiling sheepishly.

"Cat, you should stay at the lair."

"But LEO…" She whined, pouting.

"You can't go out by yourself with your arm like that. Just stay at the lair."

"But-."

"Don't even think about it."

She pouted, and turned to the Battle Shell.

"Fine. No chocolate for YOU when I'm done with the brownies."

"BROWNIES?!" Mikey asked, jumping up and down.

If Cat was good at anything in the kitchen, it was making brownies. Or anything with chocolate…but mainly brownies.

"Don't bribe me!"

"I'm not. I'm just stating how things will be later."

Leo rubbed his temples, fighting the headache coming, and his stomach almost begged for brownies.

'Dang her brownies…'

Cat smirked, seeing the desired effect, and sat in the Battle Shell.

"So you're gonna let me drive?"

"I'll drive her!" Mikey said happily, probably wanting fresh brownies.

"You can drive with one arm, Cat." Leo answered.

"Your choice."

She got into the driver's seat, and drove back to the lair. She tried not to go TOO fast, since she couldn't use her left arm to save herself from a swerve, and was soon in the kitchen, making brownies.

When her brothers came back hours later, the brownies were cooling, and at least three brothers dug in. Leo hung back, thinking she might hit him or something if he tried to grab one, but relaxed when she smiled instead.

"You know, I didn't mean it. Have some, silly."

As they ate the chocolaty treat, Don put in markers on a map in his computer of where homeless were taken.

"Their all near the harbor…" Cat noted, looking at the red dots.

She saw Leo about to open his mouth, and cut him off.

"I'm going. No questions asked."

She put her blades on her belt before Leo could try to voice a protest, but Raph stopped him.

"Either you let her come, or she's gonna follow us in the shadows."

They were soon at the harbor, Mikey posing as a homeless guy near a fire as Cat looked through the glass at him from her seat. She sighed, leaning back.

"Nothing's happened…"

She turned her head to the left, looking at her equally bored red-banded brother.

"We should just call it a night…"

They called Mikey to come back in, when a strange red light showed headlights pointing at the youngest turtle.

"Guys, it's here!!"

They sped forward, and Mikey jumped in as the black and red-lined garbage truck rammed into them from behind. They stopped, and it sped ahead of them.

They went after the truck, ramming it from behind, but spouts came out, spewing fire at the windshield.

"AH!!!"

Cat jumped, gripping Raph's arm with her right hand. He pulled a lever, and the Battle Shell shot forward, ramming the garbage truck before Don pressed a button, missiles flying at the black automobile.

When it came out unscathed, it made an oil slick, and the Battle Shell started spinning and skidding. They headed to the water, and Don pressed a button, a grappling flying out and holding them out of the water.

Raph lifted Cat out of the off-balance car, and they watch as the garbage truck flew into the water.

"I have a bone to pick with whoever crawls out of that tin can…"

When a light was shone under the water, heading for a weird island in the harbor. They headed to the lair, where Don researched the place.

"It's the most profitable landfill in the whole country."

"…It's a landfill…it can't be THAT great…" Cat stated.

"Whoever's behind this has been stealing our pals!" Raph fumed.

"Then let's go get them back."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They were able to see the off-shore landfill from the sewer tunnel, and jumped into the water.

Cat was glad for the water-proof covering Don got for her arm, though she still couldn't use it to assist her swimming.

She shook her head once she surfaced again, and silently followed her brothers through the refuse. She pulled Mikey into the shadows as spotlights moved around and he looked disgusted at the orange goo he just stepped in.

"Stop whining! You live in the SEWERS, for God's sake!" She whispered, smacking him upside the head.

"OW!!"

She followed her other brothers as they scaled a wall of garbage, and, once at the top, saw a weird city, the homeless being worked like slaves. The garbage truck came out of a pit of orange goo, dropping off more homeless before opening up.

"…That is the most DISGUSTING, VILE, UNSIGHTLY thing I have EVER seen!!" Cat muttered, putting on a disgusted face.

When he started ranting about building an 'empire', Cat grabbed one of her blades, but Raph held her back.

"Stay hiding, Cat. You can help if there's any trouble."

She pouted cutely, but didn't say anything as her brothers ran down. She followed the battle with her eyes, and moved through the garbage as the homeless went after the guards and her brothers went after the fat guy with the high-tech wheelchair.

She nearly giggled at the bad lines Mikey was spouting, when the Garbageman tried to attack him with the strange claws on his weird machine. The fat man starts backing away, and a tube came out, shooting filth at them, though he only caught Raph.

Don threw his Bo staff, blocking the tube so it exploded. Mikey mocked him again, jumping over him and making him turn around so Don could take off a panel in the back.

The Garbageman knocked away Raph and Leo, the latter smacking into Don, before grabbing Mikey and holding him over the edge.

"HEY!!!"

A foot to the face surprised the fat man, and Cat was crouched on an arm.

"Nobody picks on my little brother but ME!!"

She took one of her blades, cutting off one of the claws holding Mikey, and jumped off when Leo threw his katana at the exposed wires in the back. The machine went crazy, and Mikey jumped over the man as he fell over the edge.

"I don't think he can swim…" Cat noted.

"…We've gotta do something…"

Cat sighed.

"How'd I know you were gonna say that, Leo?"

She stayed above as her brothers jumped in to look for him, but he's nowhere in sight. The professor and the others decided to stay on the island, and Cat shrugged.

"Just take care of yourselves."

'We don't want to lose any friends…'


	10. Chapter 10

Cat dodged the nunchuck coming at her, and let the chain wrap around one of her blades before kicking Mikey in the stomach.

"OW!! Cat…" He whined, rubbing his stomach.

"Maybe you shouldn't attack like that with me unless you WANT me to kick you in the stomach."

Cat ducked below Don's Bo staff, doing a sweeping kick and kicking him in the stomach.

"OW!!! …How do you do that?"

"Instinct."

She jumped over her purple-banded brother, dodging a sai, and blocked it before delivering a punch to a pressure point in the shoulder.

"OW!!! Stop DOING that!!!"

"Sorry, force of habit." She answered with a sheepish smile.

She blocked a katana blade, and tried to slash at him, but it was blocked. She jumped back from the lock, holding her blades defensively.

Metal on metal, blows hitting blows, and the spar ended in a tie, one of their blades at each others throats.

After a moment, Cat just smiled, putting her blades on her belt.

"Guess we're equally matched, eh Leo?"

"You have done well, my children."

They lined up, and the two victors bowed.

"Thank you, sensei."

"Do you two know why you won?" Splinter questioned, first resting his eyes on Leo.

He explained something about having the superior weapons, and Splinter didn't seem to happy about it. He turned his eyes to Cat, who unconsciously straightened.

"I don't really agree with that, sensei. I feel my weapons are an extension of myself and not just metal and wood. They're important to me, like a piece of myself, but I don't always need them."

Splinter nodded slightly, saying, "You have a slight understanding of what I've tried to teach you all. Any weapon can be deadly in the hands of a true Ninjitsu master."

To emphasis his point, he threw his walking stick and skewered a punching bag.

Cat flinched, thinking of how painful that would be if it actually went through someone.

"If you have not learned that lesson, you have learned nothing."

Cat nodded, and saw Leo leave.

'Oh come on…'

She followed him to a rooftop, and sat on the edge as he took out his frustration.

"Man, Leo! Calm down a little! It's not that bad!"

She grabbed an arrow speeding by her head with fast reflexes, and took note of the paper attached. She opened it, reading the note swiftly before giving it to Leo.

She looked around, but didn't find the perpetrator before Leo said, "Let's go, then."

She sighed before following her eldest brother to a warehouse and going in carefully.

"I don't think this is a good idea…" Cat muttered, looking around.

She saw the familiar symbol of the ninja she and her brothers had been fighting for months now, and froze.

"Leo-."

They were surrounded by ninja, and Cat glared as she whipped out her blades.

"Told you this wasn't a good idea."

"Not now, Cat."

She shrugged, and ran in low, beating the ninja easily.

"Easier than I thought it'd be…" She muttered, and tensed when clapping reached her ears.

She turned to see a Japanese man step out of the shadows, and she lifted her blades slightly, light playing across the metal.

"My ninja told me of your skills, but their descriptions don't do you justice."

She didn't let down her guard as he introduced himself, and nearly rolled her eyes when Leo did the same.

She nearly growled when her brother elbowed her, and rubbed her ribs before saying, "Caterina."

"You don't seem to trust me…" Oroku Saki noted.

"Maybe it's the fact that I have scars from YOUR ninja, and the fact that I don't feel nice at the moment."

"Cat, don't be rude."

She glared at Leo.

"…I'm going to pretend that you didn't just say that…and while I'm at it, I'm gonna pretend I didn't agree to come here with you and was at home playing Old Betsy…"

She rolled her eyes, a voice screaming in her head that this was a bad place, a bad time, that she should get away before the cobra strikes.

She was in such an edgy mood that she didn't listen to Oroku Saki's speech, a feeling in her trying to pull her away from it all, dragging her brother behind her.

She only glared untrustingly as the Japanese man handed Leo a sword as a 'token of his sincerity', and was about to snap a sharp remark at her eldest brother before he turned to her.

He held out a beautifully carved bow and a quiver of silver-tipped arrows.

She quirked an eyebrow, but didn't move her arms from their firm position across her chest.

"A token of my sincerity, young warrior."

"Sorry, but I don't take weapons from people I don't trust."

She looked away, signaling her finality, and he smirked.

"Then I shall wait for your answer…"

He disappeared into the shadows, and she glared when Leo elbowed her arm.

"OW!! What?!"

"Don't be so rude!"

"…You've lost your mind, haven't you?"

"Why? Because I believe him?"

"Exactly!"

"Stop being so closed-minded!!" He retorted as he left, Cat following angrily.

"Closed-minded!?! CLOSED-MINDED!?! You are INSANE if you think I'M closed-minded!! I'm more open-minded than you'll ever be!!"

"Cat, don't start with me!!"

"YOU don't start with ME, Leo!!"

"Caterina…" He warned, stopping on a rooftop.

"Leonardo." She challenged, hands on her hips.

"Why can't you even conceive that he might be good?"

"Because I know he isn't! Don't you have a little voice in your head that's telling you he's bad news?"

"I don't think he is!!"

"Then YOU'RE the closed-minded one!!"

"Why can't you respect my authority?!"

"Because I think you're making a stupid mistake, Leo!!"

"I agree with her, Fearless." A new voice joined in.

Both turtles turned to see the other three turtles show themselves, and Cat smiled.

"SEE?! THEY agree with me!!"

"Only because they don't understand the situation!!"

"Then go and try. See if they agree with you."

Cat's tone was rebellious and firm, but it had an underlying current of worry and love that never seemed to go away whenever she talked to her family.

She leaned against a wall as Leo tried to explain what he'd heard, when Raph decided to snap him out of it his own way.

As they wrestled, Cat sighed, massaging her neck and shoulders as she moved to stop them.

When Leo kicked Raph over the edge, her heart leapt into her throat and she jumped forward, grabbing hold of the larger turtle's wrist.

"…Ow…" She muttered after her chest smacked into the edge of the roof, and tried to pull her brother up.

"Whoa…stop eating junk food, Raphie…"

She growled slightly as she pulled him up, rotating her arm.

"Thanks, Cat."

"No prob…but would you mind gaining a few pounds? You didn't quite pop my arm out of its socket…"

She smiled playfully as Raph punched her arm, and turned to Leo.

"So, what do you want to do now, Leo?"

"What we should've done from the beginning…tell Master Splinter…"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After explaining everything to Splinter, they sat Indian-style before the elderly rat as he prepared to explain.

He explained about the Foot ninja and the Shredder, and what happened to his master, Yoshi.

"I'm such an idiot!!"

"I already told you that, Leo." Cat stated with a playful smile.

"Now what are we gonna do?" Raph questioned.

"The Shredder wants an answer, I say we give it to him. Turtle Style."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They landed on the rooftop, facing the group of Foot ninja.

"Tell him the answer is no. And he can have his sword back."

Cat smirked, tossing the sword. The ninja pulled out their weapons, and they did the same.

"This might actually be fun…"

Cat did a forward flip, landing in the midst of five Foot ninja, and did a spinning kick, hitting all of them away. She ducked below a spear, kicking the offending ninja in the chest.

She heard Mikey and Don still talking about their weapons, and took a moment from her busy fighting schedule to smack both upside the head.

"Do you guys EVER listen to sensei? It's not the weapon, but the arm that wields it."

By this time, all the ninja were down, and Cat smiled.

"YES! Who rocks?"

"I do!"

She smacked Mikey upside the head.

"OW!!"

"Maybe you should rethink that statement."

Mikey pouted innocently when the door leading to the roof was busted open and Hun lumbered out.

'…Just GREAT…this is EXACTLY what I needed…'

She held up her blades defensively, and hesitated when her brothers charged.

'Guys…'

She flinched slightly when they were smacked away, but the moment he decided to pick on Raph, she felt like her chest was on fire.

"HEY!!!"

She jumped up, kicking him in the face.

"No one picks on MY brothers but ME, fat-ass!!" She snarled, one of her blades digging into his arm before he smacked her into a wall.

"You can't stop me, little girl."

A fire started in her eyes, blazing like a wildfire.

"You did NOT just call me little…"

Mikey smiled sheepishly as he backed away from her.

"I'm a LOT of things…"

She stood up, her fists clenched so tight that her nails started biting into her palms.

"But when ANYONE calls me little…"

It felt like all her rage, all her frustration, was concentrating itself into her right fist.

"They don't usually last very long…"

She ground her teeth as fire seemed to fry her nerves and charge her muscles.

'Concentrate…concentrate…'

It almost felt like it was glowing, and she smirked.

'Perfect.'

She punched him in the face, and there almost seemed to be a shockwave before he flew through a window.

She sighed with relief, the burning sensation dying away as her fist relaxed. She felt slightly drained, and her knees buckled slightly.

"Cat!"

She smiled softly as she felt arms wrap around her waist, holding her up.

"Thanks, Raphie…"

She had dropped her blades, and tried to stand up when some more Foot ninja appeared, followed by a man that seemed made of metal: The Shredder.


	11. Chapter 11

Cat tensed, about to stand, but her legs weren't agreeing with that thought.

'Shit! Of all the times-!'

"Cat, just sit out of this."

"Raphie…" She whined softly, but she couldn't argue.

Her legs weren't giving her much to work with either. It felt like she'd used up energy she didn't know she had, and she hardly objected when he put her down near a wall.

She could only watch as her brothers fought, and struggled to get up when the Shredder started to attack them.

"Leave them alone!"

She stood shakily, and punched a Foot ninja coming at her from the right. A blade flew, hitting a generator and setting the roof on fire as Cat moved to help the two eldest turtles.

When the Shredder moved to attack, she scooped up her blades from the ground and ran in, trying to slash at his arm. He smacked her away, slashing at her plastron, and she flew to the edge.

"Cat!"

The fire started shattering the roof, and Cat moved to get away from the heat when Raph grabbed her arm and they both flew off, falling into a dumpster.

As the lid dropped closed, she put her hands over her nose.

"It smells DISGUSTING in here…" She whispered, trying to get off her darker-skinned brother.

She was a little surprised when he held her down, and blushed in the darkness.

"Shh…Don't move…"

She nodded slightly against his plastron, straining to hear outside the dumpster.

'Footsteps…nearly silent…Foot ninja…'

She stayed still, trying to listen above her racing heart, when she felt a hand on her forehead, soothing her.

"Calm down…I can feel your heart racing…"

She sighed, trying to calm down, unconsciously tightening her grip on him. When it was completely silent, she peaked out. She didn't see anything, and pulled herself out.

She moved silently into the shadows, making sure Raph was following her before moving further.

"Cat…"

She stopped, looking back at him.

"What?"

"…I…um…"

She quirked an eyebrow, looking at him curiously.

"Raph…are you blushing?"

"No!" He whispered defensively, but he still blushed darker.

She blushed, looking around slightly.

"What is it, Raph? We need to find the others…"

"I…"

She waited, knowing her brother wasn't always the best with words.

"I…I should just show ya…"

She looked even more curious, turning fully to him, and was surprised when she felt his lips on her own. She kissed back after she overcame the shock.

"I almost couldn't help myself…when you were on top of me…" He whispered in her ear, and she smiled.

"Ever wonder why I don't let you fall off buildings?" She whispered, her fingers moving softly up his forearms.

"'Cause I love you…" She whispered in his ear, smiling seductively as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

She tensed, hearing footsteps, and put a finger to her lips, signaling for him to be quiet. He released her, both understanding that it would be best to hide their love, and followed her gaze to the two Foot ninja standing just outside the shadows, backs to them.

He moved towards them, and smashed their heads together easily. Cat smiled, about to move forward, when a furry grey hand rested on her shoulder.

"Master Splinter?"

Raph heard, turning to the elderly rat as well, and they follow him to find the others. She jumped down behind her younger brothers, a teasing smile on her face.

"Can you guys be any louder?"

Don jumped, and she giggled as Splinter and Raph showed themselves. She turned to Mikey, who was sitting down, and was about to ask what was wrong when he moaned.

"I can see the light…Donnie…"

Cat felt her heart race as she kneeled next to him.

"Mikey!!"

"Donnie, tell Cat…tell Cat…"

"I'm right here…"

"Cat? I…I need to tell you…"

"Mikey, I swear to God, you give up on me, you'll have a lot to deal with when I die and go after you!" She threatened, but her voice shook slightly with worry.

"Tell Cat…that she's…a gullible shell for brains!!"

Her eye twitched as he laughed.

"I can't believe you fell for that! It was AWESOME!"

"Master Splinter, I hope you like the thought of having one less son…"

"Enough of this! If we could hear you so easily…"

"So could the Foot ninja…" Donnie finished for his sensei, looking worried.

Cat tensed as they were surrounded, and stood up.

"Master Splinter, call the Battle Shell!"

Cat jumped into the fray, slashing at the ninja mercilessly. Eventually, Splinter gave the remote to Don and finished off the ninja as Don called the Battle Shell.

They drove around, looking for Leo, and Cat looked out the windshield as she tuned out Splinter, who was being a backseat driver at the moment.

After finding the eldest turtle, they sat in the Battle Shell, where Splinter delivered swift punishment and hit them over the head with his cane.

"OW!! Sorry!" Cat yelped, rubbing her head.

"I told you all not to go fight the Shredder!!"

Cat flinched back, as if fearing another strike from his cane, before asking, "What do we do, then?"

"We let them come to us."

She quirked an eyebrow as Don asked, "How do we let them come to us?"

"We sit still."

Cat covered Mikey's mouth before he could comment, and nodded.

"Let's go sit still, then."

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Cat leaned against the metal structure of the water tower, looking boredly at her feet when she heard silent footsteps. She looked up to see the Shredder, Foot ninja behind him, and moved off the metal, pulling out her blades.

"Let's finish this…"

She ran in low as the Foot ninja charged, and served a vicious uppercut before delivering a split kick. She ducked below a spear, grabbing the shaft and jabbing the butt into the offending ninja's chest.

The ninja were easy enough to fight, but she was surprised when the Shredder landed behind her, slashing at her. She blocked the strike with one of her blades, digging her heels into the concrete floor.

She was pushed back, her shell hitting a wall, and she nearly growled at the throbbing pain in her head. She tensed, seeing her brothers thrown into a wall and the Shredder threaten to finish them off.

'I won't get there in time!' Her panicked thoughts screamed as her body moved on its own.

'I'll try!' A stubborn part of her mind shouted back, and panicked adrenaline made her move faster.

When her mind snapped back to reality, she was between them, shielding them from the blow she knew would be fatal, and closed her eyes, awaiting the pain.

"NO!!!"

She opened her eyes in surprise, seeing Splinter had blocked the strike, and stumbled back, falling on her behind.

She only watched in stunned silence as her father fought the Shredder, and hardly realized her brothers had picked her up, moving her to higher ground before the water tower burst.

She heard the water tower crash below, and winced slightly before going to join her family to look over the edge.

"Master Splinter, are you okay?" Cat asked worriedly.

"…I'm fine…I have avenged my Master Yoshi…Come, we should go home…"

They all nodded, and Cat looked back over the edge a moment before following.

'I hope this is really the end…'


	12. Chapter 12

"…Mikey…"

"Yes, Cat?"

"How in the world did you convince me to watch old monster movies with you?"

"I hid Old Betsy." The orange-banded turtle answered with a grin.

"…Oh, yeah…Now I'll remember to kill you…"

She leaned back on the couch as Mikey moaned.

"Hey, you're the one who stole my guitar AND used my sheets to make your Turtle Titan costume, shell for brains."

"…I SAID I was sorry!"

"'Sorry' doesn't cut it, Mike. You cut up my sheets!"

She hit him upside the head, glad the movie was over, and saw Mikey go see what Don was doing.

'Time for a nap…'

She lay down on the couch, putting an arm over her eyes, when an annoying sound reached her eyes, a blue light reaching her eyes. She looked up over the back of the couch, and saw Mikey holding two glowing crystals together as the rest of the family converged on the desk.

Don took one, inspecting it a moment before a perimeter alarm went off in an old tunnel. Cat looked at a screen, seeing a black shadow flash across it almost too fast to register.

"Whoa…either sewer rats are taking steroids or something's out there."

They headed there on the Sewer Slider, and got out to check out the tunnel.

"Whoa…look at those tracks…" Cat muttered, her flashlight dancing over the stone.

"It's like they're melted right into the stone…" Don added, looking around.

"Whatever it was, it melted right through the concrete!"

Cat looked towards her red-banded brother, and her eyes widened as she looked at the tunnel melted through the stone.

"…Whoa…"

Mikey started freaking out, and Cat sighed.

"THIS is why you shouldn't watch late night monster movies."

"But Cat, it's always the non-believers that go first! I don't WANT you to get eaten!"

She rolled her eyes slightly as he hugged her, and patted his shell comfortingly.

"I won't get eaten, Mikey. Even IF there are monsters. Okay?"

"B-But…"

"I'll have none of that!" She said sternly, hugging her youngest brother protectively.

"Nothing's gonna happen, so let's pull together and figure out what's going on."

Don took a sample of the dried, melted rock, and they headed back to the lair.

Cat tried stopping Mikey from freaking out as Don studied the sample, but it seemed impossible to calm the frantic turtle. Don surmised that whatever made that tunnel could melt the rock with a type of acid, and Leo suggested going to check it out.

"Whoever's in favor, say 'I'."

Four other turtles said it, but looked at the orange-banded turtle expectantly.

"…Meep…"

"…Close enough…" Cat muttered.

She grabbed her backpack, putting in her sleeping bag, some food, a book, and rope. After slinging it over her shoulder, she saw Mikey reading a comic book on monsters, his teeth rattling with fear.

"Mikey, if a monster's about to jump us, don't you think we'd notice? I'm sure we'll be fine."

"Y-Yeah…" He replied with a sheepish smile, putting the comic into his bag.

She shook her head slightly, and headed over to the door.

"Anyone ready to go?"

"We're coming!"

After they'd assembled, they headed back to the old sewer tunnel. As everyone climbed through one by one, Cat looked at Mikey suspiciously as he told her and Raph to go first.

She went through first, and nearly smiled when she heard Mikey's protest as Raph grabbed him.

When they came out, they were in an abandoned, decayed subway tunnel, which, as Don put it, should've collapsed years ago.

"Be VERY quiet…"

Cat nodded, biting her lower lip as they went through the decaying ruins, following the tracks.

"I have a bad feeling about this, guys…" Cat whispered, her eyes scanning the shadows.

"Cat has spoken! We should turn around-!"

Raph grabbed Mikey and dragged him forward as they walked, Cat going slower and slower as the feeling grew.

When the tunnel started shaking, making dust fall from the ceiling, she snapped out of her daze and ran to catch up with her family.

When she heard Mikey breath in, ready to sneeze, she tensed, her legs ready to start running, but Raph covered his mouth.

"Not-A-Sound."

Mikey nodded, covering his nose, and the other four hadn't moved two feet before his sneeze echoed off the walls, making it shake.

"Mikey!" Cat whispered, glaring at said turtle lightly.

"What? I can't help that…there's a horrible, destructive monster behind you!!!"

Cat quirked an eyebrow before turning around, and her heart sank.

'Shit…monsters are real…how will I get Mikey to sleep at night NOW…'

The monster roared, making the tunnel shake violently before the ceiling started caving in.

"Come on!"

They started running, the ceiling raining down behind them, and came out in a stable cave, which became pitch black once the tunnel shut itself off with debris.

"…Just GREAT…that was my idea of a workout…"

Don used the crystals he'd brought to light up the space, and they stood up.

"You think that thing survived?" Raph questioned.

"Know your monsters, Raph! It can MELT ROCK!" Mikey retorted.

"Oh yeah. Maybe I forgot because I was trying not to get buried in a COLLAPSING SUBWAY TUNNEL!!!"

"Raphie, calm down a little. You weren't the only one who was trying not to get buried." Cat reasoned, putting a hand to her head.

Leo suggested they keep going, and they walked down another tunnel before coming out in a large cavern, no way to keep going directly forward. Don took out some rope from his duffel bag, and they climbed down to the floor below.

"Man, I'm tired."

Cat yawned, stretching her arms and leaning against the wall.

"We'll set up camp here, then."

Leo turned to Raph.

"You up for first watch?"

"You know me."

After everyone fell asleep, Cat curled up contently with her head on Raph's lap, everything seemed peaceful, the crystals blue-tinted light bathing all of them.

Cat muttered something in her sleep, frowning slightly as a short whimper escaped her.

"Cat? Cat, wake up."

She opened her eyes slowly, but she still seemed in a daze.

"Dark shadow…black tower…deserted city…"

"Cat, are you okay?" Raph questioned worriedly, a hand on her forehead.

"Monsters…forbidden…Raph, don't go…"

Her eyes were glazed over, it was like she was still asleep.

"Cat, I'm right here."

"Don't go, don't go…stay with me…please…"

He shook her shoulder, and she hardly registered it.

"Cat, wake up! Come on!"

He shook her so hard she nearly fell off his lap, her shell smacking into the ground, and it snapped her out of her daze.

"R-Raphie…"

She shook her head slightly, trying to dislodge the remnants of her dream, and sat up.

"Cat, are you okay?"

"I'm fine…just a weird dream…"

The ceiling shook, sending debris down, and Cat looked around to see a monster trying to push a boulder.

"Guys, wake up!!! GUYS!!!"

She shot up, and she shook Mikey awake from his dream.

"Guys, the monsters here!! Come ON!!"

Everyone stood up, and the boulder flew down, rolling towards them.

'SHIT!!'

They ran down a tunnel with their stuff, and see a broken bridge at the end.

"Oh come ON!" Cat whined, looking around.

Raph took out a rope with a grappling hook, throwing it across. It wrapped around a stalagmite, and they all grabbed onto the rope as the boulder came into view.

They swung off, and hit the cliff face across from them, the boulder falling into the yawning abyss below. They started climbing up, but the rope jerked, the grappling hook starting to slip.

Cat clung tighter to the rope instinctively, looking down at the darkness before saying, "Push off the wall!!"

"What?"

Mikey looked down at her in surprise.

"Just do it, Mikey!!"

They pushed off, the rope pulling them into an arc before the grappling hook came loose, and they landed safely on the ground above.

Cat breathed in relief, her racing heart slowing down, and she looked at the bent doors of the room before them.

"It looks like the doors were forced open from the inside…something wanted to get out…"

Cat looked at the purple-banded turtle a moment before saying, "You just want me to scream, don't you?"

"…Low hit?"

"Yes…don't do it again…"

They walked inside, looking around at the strange equipment.

'A crystal…'

She looked at it in interest when Don said, "This is a genetics lab."

"What were they doing?"

"Studying mutation."

"Oh joy…" Cat rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.

Mikey backed up, tripping an alarm, and the sound hit their ears like a hammer.

"MIKEY!!!"

Metal doors shot down over the open door, and the crystal in the room started glowing, making a force field.

Cat grabbed one of her blades, slashing at the force field, but her weapon went straight through, and the force field wrenched loose her hold, pushing her back.

"Um…I think we've got a problem…"

She dug her heels into the ground, trying to push the force field back as her shell hit the wall. Don instructed Raph to throw his sai at the crystal.

When he did, it hit the machine it was attached to, and the crystal sparked before the force field abruptly vanished.

The metal slid off the door, and Cat grabbed her blade, putting it on her belt as a screen sputtered to life, showing the Foot symbol.

"This was a FOOT genetics lab? Why in the world would they care about mutation?" Cat muttered as Don went through the video logs.

The videos were awful, showing the pain and suffering as humans were mutated to become diggers and search for the Shredder's 'enemies'.

The last video showed that the monsters had destroyed the lab, freeing themselves, and Mikey starts freaking out as the video snows over, animalistic snarls and growls reaching their ears.

Cat looked at each of her brothers, saying, "Okay…if it wasn't you…and it wasn't me…"

She looked around.

"I think I'm gonna head home now…"

"Cat, take me with you!"

Cat sighed as Mikey clung to her, and she thought of something to make him let go.

"Hey boys, just what was that noise/Comin from over there?/If it wasn't you and it wasn't me/Then what in the wide wide world could it be?/You want to scream and shout/and jump right out of your skin/Don't be cryin' aloud/Come on and take my hand and you will understand/Everything's gonna be alright/Don't you be afraid when things go bump in the night /Get closer to me and baby hold on tight/Cause everything's gonna be all right."

Mikey had always loved the Chipmunks just as much as she did, and he always felt better when she sang the songs.

She grabbed her bag, saying, "We should head home."

She put a comforting hand on Mikey's shell as she led him out, but she stopped when she saw the rock getting melted before her. Three monsters came out, and she straightened as Mikey jumped behind her.

'Great…monsters…and one can melt through rock…PERFECT…'

Her other brothers drew their weapons, and she pulled out her blades. Mikey pulled out his nunchucks as he looked at his sibling.

"Guys, this isn't the end of the movie...is it?"


	13. Chapter 13

Cat backed into the lab, making sure her brothers followed her movements, and glared at the monsters.

Mikey was still behind her, and a familiar instinct took over. She had to protect him. He was like a scared child, and that instinct in her made her feel she could fight all of three of those monsters by herself.

She held her blades defensively, and moved in fast, dodging rock and a sharp fist before lashing out herself.

Mikey nearly got hit, but Raph saved his shell, saying, "Watch your back, oddball!"

"Odd? I'm not odd!"

Cat skidded back from a hit, and straightened by her youngest brother.

"Cat, Raph called me odd!"

"You're just being sensitive, Mikey." She retorted before jumping back in.

"If there's anything I hate, it's when people call me sensitive!"

"You're being sensitive WHINING about people calling you sensitive." Cat noted as she dodged a blow.

She was punched back at the door, and shook her head to clear it as Leo suggested a retreat.

"Retreat? That ain't my style…" Raph retorted.

"Consider it a 'tactical retreat'."

Cat grabbed Raph's arm as she moved to follow her other brothers, and run down a tunnel before ending up in a circular room. They closed the door, realizing there was no other way out, but two of the monsters busted in.

The smaller monster stopped the other two from attacking, and Leo explained why they were there. They said the crystals Don had brought signaled evil to them, but that they usually sensed them deeper underground.

"Maybe we could go check it out, just to see where they come from-."

Don was cut off by the blue monster.

"No! It's a forbidden place! Something evil lives there amidst the crystals!"

Cat froze.

She remembered the voice…the words…her dream…

She snapped out of it almost as soon as she fell into it, and followed her brothers back to the lab.

The blue monster introduced them as Quarry, StoneBiter, and RazorFist, but they couldn't remember their real names because of the mutation experiments.

Before more could be said, an alarm went off, and Quarry tried to start up the force field. The panels didn't start up, and neither did the crystal, and Cat smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah…we kinda ran into your force field…"

"And Raph broke it!"

Both turtles glared at Mikey, who smiled innocently.

Quarry manipulated some wires, but the crystal only sputtered to life for a moment before dying again.

"Um…I don't think that's working anymore…" Cat noted softly, animalistic snarls and growls making her fear what was coming.

Don removed the crystal, which broke apart harmlessly in his hands, and they try to use one of their smaller crystals.

It didn't power up, and the sounds were getting closer, strange shadows coming off the tunnel walls. Raph, StoneBiter, and RazorFist closed the mangled doors, and Mikey went up to Don.

"Maybe its upside-down."

"It's not upside-down, Mikey."

The other monsters busted through the doors, and Cat looked worriedly at Don.

He flipped the crystal over, and the force field started up, pushing the hostile monsters away.

The crystal started overloading, but the monsters left before it burned out.

"You need a new crystal…" Cat noted.

"But it is too dangerous to find another. They're only found in the forbidden zone, but it's too costly to go back for another." Quarry replied.

"But you don't have a choice. Those monsters will be back and you need one." Leo interjected reasonably.

Raph offered that they go with them, since it was their fault the force field had been damaged, and the others agreed.

They started heading down, but Mikey didn't seem too ecstatic about it.

"Mikey, relax. What could POSSIBLY happen?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"AHHHHHHHHH!!"

When her shell hit the ground, she put a hand to her head, saying, "If that was a shortcut, I'd hate to see what the long way is like…"

"Sorry, I forgot you can't scale rock…"

Cat looked up at Quarry, and smiled softly.

"Yeah…let's try to avoid that mistake in the future…I don't want to fall in what looks like an acid pool…"

They had to walk across the sulphur pool, that's what Donnie called it anyway, on stepping stones.

As they walked, breaking through obstacles and avoiding them, Cat replayed her dream in her head. As she walked, a sense of familiarity and remembrance filling her.

When they started across a thin bridge, Cat tried not to lose her focus.

When the monsters jumped into a whirlpool, she cocked an eyebrow.

"…We're not following them, are we?"

"…You got a better idea?" Raph asked good-naturedly.

"…Can I get a scuba suit at least?"

He only chuckled before jumping in after the others. Mikey was still behind her, so she tried to shrug off her apprehension before diving in.

When she went over the waterfall, she was lucky enough to grab a protruding rock on the way, and hung there for a moment as she tried to calm down.

"Cat?"

She looked down a bit to see the others on the shore, and smiled sheepishly.

"Hey, guys…how's the water down there?"

When Mikey flew by her, ending up in the stream below and heading towards sharp rocks.

"MIKEY!!!"

She swung forward, landing on the shore, and didn't waste a second to go and jump in after her little brother. She was a strong swimmer, and grabbed him around the waist before fighting against the current and heading for the shore.

"Mikey…next time…grab onto something…"

She panted, feeling a burning in her legs as they moved hard and fast.

"Will do…"

She threw him onto the shore, pulling herself up after him before lying on the ground, panting.

"Thanks, Cat…you're the best sister ever…"

She raised a hand to show she'd heard, her chest still rising and falling with deep breathes.

"Whatever…"

"You alright, Cat?"

She looked up at Raph as he leaned over her, and she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah…I feel like running a marathon…"

Her hand shot up, smacking his nose.

"Of course I'm not alright!"

"OW!! Don't start getting sarcastic, Kitty!"

When she was little, Mikey had given her that nickname because, as he reasoned, she had been more like a kitten than a grown cat, and the others sometimes used it as a more childish nickname.

Cat sat up, rubbing her head before Raph grumpily helped her up.

"Aw…Don't be so upset…" She said with a teasing smile, grabbing his hand before they followed the others.

"These carvings are like the ones back at the lair…" Don noted, looking around.

"Yeah…" Cat agreed, remembering the designs from her dream as well.

They walked into a large hallway, and Quarry found a rather large crystal in the wall. Cat looked around, quirking an eyebrow.

"Where's Mikey?"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

"THERE he is…"

"GUYS, WE'VE GOT MONSTERS OUT HERE!!!!"

Cat paled, turning around.

"MONSTERS?!"

They rushed to get away, Mikey following them to a strange door. The monsters tried to bust through, but none of their efforts even made a scratch.

Cat stabbed one of her blades into the edge as the monsters sounds became louder, trying to force it open.

"Come ON, you stupid door! OPEN!!"

Don took their last crystal and put it in a slot by the door, but it didn't work as the others drew their weapons.

Cat went to his side, saying, "Flip it over."

"Cat-."

"Worked once, lets see if it works again." She pressed, and he flipped the crystal over.

The door slid open, showing a hallway, and Cat turned to the others.

"Guys, the door's open!!"

She turned at a strange sound, and saw a strange disc of blue light surround Don before he disappeared in a flash of light.

"DONNIE!!!!!"


	14. Chapter 14

Cat turned around sharply, looking down the hallway.

"DONNIE!!!! DONNIE!!!!"

"Cat, behind you!!"

Cat looked back to see a monster come at her, but she jumped over him, landing behind him. More blue discs flew through the air, getting some of the monsters and making them disappear.

"RAZORFIST!!! STONEBITER!!!"

They backed up toward the hallway, and Cat looked down it, seeing a light.

"Let's go!"

She grabbed Mikey and Raph, and Quarry didn't hesitate to follow. Leo followed once he grabbed the crystal Don had used, closing the door on the monsters.

After going through the short, dark hallway, they saw a city off in the distance. Cat froze, her grip loosening around her brother's arms.

"Cat?"

She looked up at familiar amber brown eyes, and sighed.

"This city…it's from my dream…"

"Cat…you've been acting weird since you woke up from that dream…what is it?" Raph asked sternly.

"…I don't know…it's like a vision or something…"

She didn't let Raph pull her closer.

"We shouldn't…I'm not going there…"

"Cat, its fine-."

"It's not fine! I'm not going!"

Mikey and Quarry seemed to agree with her, and Raph sighed irritably.

"But they've got Don!!"

She tensed, reality sinking in.

"Donnie…"

She shivered, looking at the city, but she nodded.

"I'll go…but the moment something bad happens, I'm leveling the city, grabbing everybody, and running like hell!!!!"

"At least you'll be there."

Cat normally would've rolled her eyes, saying she couldn't let them go without someone who had a brain, but she didn't seem up for it.

She seemed tense, ready to fight what she felt was going to be the toughest monster. A monster of darkness that she always felt deep down, but she couldn't let it out.

"Hey, guys! I found a way down!"

She turned to Leo, nodding, and followed him around the corner.

"…Unless I'm drunk, crazy, or down-right stupid, I'm not getting in that thing!!"

"It's the only way across." Leo reasoned.

"Then YOU get in!"

When she heard roars, her head snapped up.

"But on the other hand, what are we waiting for?!"

She pulled her brothers in.

"Put in the crystal, Leo!"

The door closed and the whole thing moved, but the monsters jumped on the ceiling, bashing through. Suddenly, they were gone, and the rope holding them up snapped under the pressure.

"We need to get outta here!!"

The machine was skewered right down the middle, and they jumped out before it was completely destroyed. They landed safely on land, and turned to see Quarry buried under a collapsed stalagmite.

"QUARRY!!!"

There was a tense silence before the rock melted and Quarry pulled himself up.

"…Um…"

"We were made to handle such adversities."

Cat just shrugged it off, and they head into the city.

"The same patterns…" Cat muttered, looking around.

Leo found three strange scooters, powered by crystals. They hovered through the abandoned streets, Mikey and Quarry on one, Raph and Crystal on another, while Leo got his own.

When Leo drove off into a dark building, hearing something, but Cat jumped when a bright white light came from the darkness.

"LEO!!!"

They ran in, but only saw his over-turned scooter.

"LEO!!!"

Mikey put a hand on Cat's shoulder.

"It may not be wise to shout, Kitty…"

They went outside, and Mikey panicked when he couldn't see Quarry. Cat sighed, reaching into dark shadows, and pulled the monster out.

"Why are you hiding?"

"There is a dark presence here!"

Cat sighed.

"…I know…"

"There he is!"

Cat followed Quarry's frantic gaze, and tensed. The figure disappeared into the fog, and Raph went onto the scooter to go get him.

"RAPH, DON'T!!!!!"

There was a flash of light, and Mikey seemed to shrink back.

"Come on." She ordered, trying to sound confident, and waited for Mikey and Quarry to get on the scooter before grabbing Leo's and following them.

They found another overturned scooter, and a fire was started in her chest.

'If that asshole has hurt him, he's gonna have a foot so far up his ass he's gonna get a nosebleed!'

She glared as she saw the figure up on a building.

"He's here."

She pulled out her weapons as Mikey followed her gaze.

"You two stay together…I'll deal with this guy…"

"But you'll disappear too!"

Mikey grabbed her arm.

"I don't want to be alone!"

"You won't be…"

She gave him a reassuring smile before running to the building and jumping up. Mikey followed her, but Quarry didn't seem up to it.

The figure was gone, and Cat cursed before Mikey landed beside her. Cat looked around, seeing a black tower in the center, and closed her eyes.

'My dream…the evil shadow…'

Mikey seemed to have the same feeling, and Cat tried to smile reassuringly.

"I think we should head there. The others might be there."

Mikey nodded, and followed her as she ran.

'If anything's happened to them, I'll have fun cutting someone open today…'

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'What a weird room…'

Cat looked at all of the frozen monsters, seeing RazorFist, StoneBiter, and Quarry. Mikey was about to turn a strange crystal on the stand Quarry was on when a voice stopped him.

"I wouldn't touch that. I'm not quite done with him."

Cat glared at the figure as he walked down the stairs behind her, and Mikey kicked the guy to the floor.

"Where are our brothers?"

"Cat, Mikey. We've been waiting for you guys to show up."

The two turtles turned to see their brothers, and Cat quirked an eyebrow.

"…What the shell?"

They went into another room, and the man explains that he's only trying to return the monsters back to normal through a strange process Cat was sure she'd never understand.

He explained how his race had lived in this city, and about their lookout, which was now their lair. He was the only one left of his race, and that he wanted to help these people so they could repopulate the city.

"Um…but they need to go back topside…they have family and friends and lives up there-."

"No! They will stay! As will you!" He cut Cat off, and she glared.

She did NOT appreciate being cut off like that…

"We're not staying! You don't tell ME what to do!"

She glared, hands on hips.

"And if you piss me off anymore, my foot will be so far up your ass you'll have a nosebleed!"

The amulet around his neck glowed, and earth tried to crush her like a wave. She jumped over it, whipping out her blades, and started dodging, noticing the ground was also going after her brothers.

It slammed her into a wall, fusing to the wall.

"…Oh, I'm PISSED now!!!"

She struggled, but it only seemed to tighten around her, and her blades clattered to the floor.

She saw Mikey, the only one not physically trapped at the moment, and the man crash through a wall, but she couldn't see anything until a light flashed and Mikey walked back in.

He broke them free, and they went to the monsters. Donnie inspected the crystal, turning it ninety degrees, making it turn red, and the ice melted away.

Cat nearly laughed when she saw that Quarry was a girl, and also the looks on her brother's faces when they found out.

Priceless!

After freeing the others, and head to the exit. When one stepped out of the tunnel, he started turning back to a monster, and they pulled him back in.

"You guys can't leave…or you'll turn into monsters again…" Cat stated sadly, looking around.

"We could stay and find out how to keep you from reverting-."

"No…we couldn't ask you to stay…who knows how long it would take…"

Don sighed, looking defeated.

"We'll try to help any way we can." Cat promised.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The walk through the sewers was quiet and sad, when they all heard footsteps splashing in the water.

They hid in a shadowed pipe, and saw some Foot ninja run past with flashlights.

'Foot ninja?'

Once they had safely passed, Cat looked out tentatively.

"Why are Foot ninja down here? I mean, the Shredder's dead…"

A furry grey hand touched her shoulder lightly, and she turned to see Splinter.

"Sensei? What's wrong?"

"We won't be able to get to the lair undetected. We will need to find a temporary home quickly."

Mikey smiled.

"I know just the place!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April opened the door to her shop, letting in the five turtles and rat.

"Thanks for letting us stay, April!"

CRASH!!

"MIKEY!!!!!!!!"


	15. Chapter 15

Cat woke up from a peaceful sleep, and didn't understand why until she saw Leo heading for the window.

'Probably going for his training run…'

She sat up, careful not to wake the red-banded turtle that had been hugging her in his sleep, and was by her elder brother in a moment, smiling.

"Hey, bro. Mind if I join you?"

She nearly laughed when he jumped, but she only covered her mouth with both hands.

"Cat…"

"Let's not start a lecture so early in the morning, Leo. We'd better head out before it rains."

He hesitated before nodding, and Cat grabbed her blades before following her brother out the window. She went at a leisurely pace, looking at the still dark sky as the sun struggled to rise over the horizon.

When she noticed they were being followed, she casually sped up her pace, running alongside her blue-banded brother.

"We've got company." She whispered, hands on her blades.

"How many?"

She focused her senses, listening closely.

"…About fifteen, I think…"

"…Be careful, Cat…"

She nodded before stopping abruptly, spinning on her heel to face the Foot ninja. She pulled out her blades, checking the numbers before running in.

Her blades flashed in the light as she fought the ninja, and was about to put her blades away once she was done when she heard the sounds of battle only a couple of rooftops away.

'Leo…'

She ran to the source of the noise, but she only saw her brother getting beaten by an invisible force.

'Foot Tech ninja…'

She used a vicious Dragon Punch on one to her left, and went to her brother's side, using a spinning kick on another. They tried to run, not wanting to face such unfair odds on their own, when they were cornered by Foot Tech ninja.

'Damn…'

Cat kept a defensive stance, not backing down, when a door in the middle of the roof burst open.

'Hun…'

She focused her frustration into her fist, ignoring the burn, and rushed in. She delivered a powerful punch, and felt sure a few ribs snapped from the force as the behemoth flew into a metal structure.

She was starting to tire, the sheer numbers taking a toll on her stamina, but she shook off the fatigue to follow her brother. But they didn't get far, and soon had Foot ninja behind them and four red-clothed ninja on a platform before them.

The two jumped up to meet the challenge, but they disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Cat looked down to see them, and they turned to bow at someone in the distance.

What she saw next made her heart jump and her knees shake.

"Shredder…"

With a hand signal, the four red-clothed ninja surrounded them, weapons raised. Cat wasn't fast enough to dodge most of the blows raining down on her, but she fought back fiercely, her blades threatening to cut bone.

But her fire didn't flare to life until Leo fell, and her blades flew like light. The fire in her chest fueled her body, forcing away fatigue, but the wounds she already had took their toll on her eventually.

She fell to her knees before her brother, panting for breath, glaring.

"Cat…"

"I won't…lose…"

She closed her eyes, trying to gather her strength.

"I'll protect you…"

She held her blades tight, feeling the wrapping against her palms, and struggled to rise.

"Foolish creature…"

She glared, trying to hide her panic as the Shredder stepped into her field of vision.

A foot to the chest sent her sprawling, and she didn't get a chance to rise before the same foot pushed down on her chest, making her ribs cry out in protest as they threatened to make her frantic heart burst.

"You're weak. You'd be better off dead, so why bother trying to live?"

"…I need…to protect…my family…" She forced out through crushed lungs.

"How can you protect them if you can't defend yourself, girl?" She gritted her teeth in pain as more pressure was applied.

"…I'll try…"

The fire started scorching her veins.

"…Even if it kills me…"

Her foot shot out, hitting him square in the chest, and he flew back. She sat up, struggling to fill her lungs with air, when a searing, slicing pain in her arm made her cry out, dropping her blades.

She cradled her wounded arm, ignoring her blood as it stained her skin and plastron crimson.

"Send your family the message…"

A blow to the head sent her sprawling, her brain hazy and her vision blurred. She hardly registered anything, and her mind lost all sense of time.

But when she was thrown, her mind slowly recognized everything that was happening.

Her shell came in contact with something solid but frail…

Glass.

She could tell because she heard it shatter.

Then she hit something solid, and her head screamed out in protest as it hit.

Floor.

But where was she?

She heard voices call her name, but they were muffled.

She opened her eyes, looking around slightly.

Everything seemed fairly familiar…

April's place.

That meant the voices were…

"Cat!!"

She turned her head slightly to the red-banded turtle.

"R-Raphie…"

"Cat, what happened to you two?!"

Two…

Her heart jumped.

'Leo!!'

She turned her head, seeing the blue-banded turtle unconscious, bruises and cuts visible.

"It…It was…"

She couldn't seem to find the strength, when she noticed Don putting pressure to the wound on her arm.

"I-It was…"

She summoned up all her strength…

"Shredder…"

And then her world went black…


	16. Chapter 16

Once they'd gotten safely to the farmhouse and had set the two unconscious turtles on couches, the real worry set in.

"What do we do now, sensei?" Mikey asked, worry in his voice, as he sat between the couches.

"It is said that the voice of a loved one helps guide one's soul back to their home." Splinter advised wisely.

They started off with stories of Leo, the special memory each carried, and were happy to see him wake up.

But the relief faltered when they saw Cat hadn't moved an inch.

"Kitty…"

Mikey looked thoughtful a moment.

"I remember when I first called her that…"

Flashback:

An eight year old Cat was running around the couch, Mikey after her. Both were laughing, Cat holding a GameBoy in her hands.

"Give it back, sis!"

"You've gotta catch me first!"

She turned her head to reply, and didn't see the box and rope before her. She fell over it, getting tangled, and fell on her shell.

As she tried to free herself, Mikey giggled as he noticed she looked like a kitten playing with a ball of yarn.

"You look like a kitty, sis."

She looked at him with curious violet eyes.

"You mean like a baby cat?"

He nodded.

She looked thoughtful.

"Well, I'm not really a grown up, so I can't be a cat…"

"So we should start calling you Kitty." Mikey finished, a huge grin plastered on his face.

"Okay, and when I grow up, you guys can call me Cat."

This child-like logic seemed accurate, so Mikey nodded, picking up his GameBoy.

"Come on, Kitty! There's cookies in the kitchen!"

"Okay!"

End Flashback:

Mikey looked sullenly at his sister as his voice faded, and squeezed her hand.

He faintly felt her fingers twitch, and hope filled his features.

Don moved closer, looking thoughtful before kneeling next to her.

"I remember when I first tried fixing up that old toy motorcycle…"

Flashback:

"Kitty, look at this!" A seven year old Don called, holding the remote controller triumphantly.

A curious Cat soon looked thrilled, running over.

"Cool! You finally fixed it!"

He nodded, making the toy motorcycle speed around, popping a wheely.

"Don, watch out!"

But it was too late, and the toy fell into the sewer water.

"Aw MAN…" Don whined.

Cat went to get it out, stretching to reach. When she grabbed hold of it, about to stand up straight, Don ran to get it, and slipped on the wet bricks.

"AHH!!"

He felt arms wrap around his chest, holding him out of the water, and nearly felt the water touch his feet.

He felt his heart leap in his chest, but to feel Cat's rhythmic, calm heartbeat helped slow his own.

"K-Kitty…"

"Just hold still, Donnie…"

He did, and she slowly pulled him away from the water, struggling. She fell back, her brother on top of her.

He hugged her tight.

"Thank you-Thank you-Thank you!!"

"Okay, Donnie…but I can't…breathe…"

He released her, smiling sheepishly.

"Here's your motorcycle…and let's try NOT driving it into sewer water…"

She smiled.

"Now who wants hot chocolate?"

"Me!!!"

End Flashback:

Don smiled sadly, looking at her peaceful face. He looked behind him when Raph moved closer, and moved to make space for his older brother.

"Cat was always there…I don't remember a moment when she wasn't there…"

He put a hand on her forehead, a sullen look on his face.

Flashback:

Raph tossed and turned in his bed, fighting back the remains of his nightmare, when he heard a voice calling his name from the darkness.

He opened his eyes to see worried ten year old violet eyes.

"Raphie, are you okay?" Cat asked.

"…I'm fine…" He answered gruffly, trying to keep up his tough guy image.

Understanding and worry flashed across her features, and she sighed.

"Nobody's awake, Raphie…you can tell me the truth…"

He didn't understand why, but he couldn't hold it back anymore.

"It was a nightmare…"

She sat down on the bed, facing him.

"What was it about?" She asked sympathetically, looking more like a caring mother than a ten year old.

"…Nothing…"

"Really…then how was it a nightmare?" She asked innocently, tilting her head in a cute, questioning manner.

"…I don't wanna tell ya…"

"Why?"

He looked up at her, feeling bad.

"…You were gone…everybody was gone..."

He looked down at his lap.

"…I was all alone…"

She hugged him tight.

"Everything's okay…I'm right here…"

He felt reassured, hugging her back.

"But…"

"I won't leave…it's the last thing I'd do…"

'Thanks, Kitty…'

End Flashback:

Splinter put a comforting hand on his red-banded sons shoulder, looking at his only daughter.

"She was always the selfless one…it was like she had a light all her own…"

He looked almost sad.

"…But she had a strange darkness that even she fears more than anything else…"

Flashback:

Splinter awoke in the night, unsure of what had caused his sudden awakening, when he heard faint crying. His hearing was better than his children's, so they probably hadn't noticed yet.

He got out of bed, and followed the sounds, finding his daughter, only five years old, crying in her sleep. She tossed and turned, in the fits of a deep nightmare, and he put a gentle hand on her forehead.

"Caterina…Caterina, wake up…"

When she woke up, she latched onto him like a lifeline, crying her eyes out. He patted her shell comfortingly, waiting for her to calm down.

"S-Sensei…"

"Calm down, my child…what is wrong?"

"N-Nightmare…"

"What was it about?"

She looked up at him with watery violet eyes, and took a shaky breath.

"…There was bl-blood…and you were there…and so was Leo and Raphie and Donnie and Mikey…but…b-but you guys were moving…"

Tears built up again.

"And I was covered in red but it wasn't mine…and…a-and I wanted to…t-to…"

She closed her eyes, hiding her face in his fur.

'I'm sorry, my daughter…but these are demons you must face on your own…'

End Flashback:

Splinter felt movement under his paw, and watched carefully as misty violet eyes opened to the light.

"…S-Sensei…" She muttered, smiling softly.

She felt someone tighten their grip on her hand, and looked down.

"Hey, Mikey…"

"Kitty…"

She smiled.

"You don't usually call me that unless you're scared…"

"…I was scared…"

"I'm fine…right, Don?"

"…I don't know…I'm just glad you're awake…"

She seemed to relax, and smiled at her third brother.

"Hey, Raphie…sorry if I gave you a scare…"

"…Just glad yer okay, Kitten…"

She nodded slightly, her eyes starting to close.

"Night…" She muttered before falling asleep.

"…Sleep well…"


	17. Chapter 17

Cat heard crashing outside the room she was in, and stood shakily before going to check it out.

"Mikey…"

Mikey turned from the mess to her, and smiled sheepishly.

"Oh…hey, Kitty…"

"…What did you do?"

He just backed away, glad she still wasn't too sturdy on her legs.

"…Just ran through the hall because I thought a bee was chasing me, but it was just a ray of light…"

Her eye twitched, and she nearly raised her right arm, but stopped, wincing slightly in pain at the deep cuts that nearly cut bone.

They'd hardly healed, and still bled through her bandages.

"Yeah, so…BYE!!!"

Mikey ran, and she growled softly to herself before walking down the stairs.

"Hey, April…"

"Cat! Are you feeling okay?"

"I feel fine, seriously…" Cat assured, when someone poked her arm.

"OW!!!!!!!!!!!"

She glared at Casey, who grinned sheepishly.

"I thought it wouldn't hurt ya…"

She punched him upside the head with her left hand.

"OW!!!!!!"

She muttered something about idiots with hockey masks before heading outside.

She headed for the trees, and ordered her weak muscles to bring her into a tree, on a large branch far off the ground, but still in sight of her brothers if they looked for her.

She leaned her shell against the trunk, cradling her bandaged arm to her chest.

'I really screwed up…'

She looked up at the gently swaying leaves.

'Leo still got hurt…I should've tried to get away instead of fight…' She scolded herself.

'I knew what I should do, but my body wouldn't obey…'

She saw Splinter talking with Raph in the distance, and she was sure his eyes turned to look straight at her own.

She only straightened slightly, still cradling her arm, and looked away.

A few minutes later, she heard the leaves sway out of time with the wind, and turned her head to see Raph on a branch beside her own.

"Kitten…are ya okay?"

She hid her inner turmoil with a smile.

"I'm fine. Just needed some air, is all."

She saw the penetrating look, and put up her best front. This time, it wasn't good enough.

"Is this about what happened?"

Her smile faltered slightly.

"What would this be about? There's nothing for something to be about."

"…Are ya listening to yerself?"

"…Not at the moment…Why?"

He sighed, and sat down comfortably on the branch before picking her up.

A startled "Eep!" escaped her, but she settled down when she ended up sitting on his lap.

"Come on, Kitten…ya can tell me what's wrong…"

She looked down, fiddling with her fingers nervously as he wrapped his arms around her.

"…Am I a bad sister?"

Raph looked at her in surprise.

"Of course not! Who told ya that?"

"…Shredder…"

Rage flashed through his crimson brown eyes, but looking at her vulnerable features made him calm down.

"Don't believe a word that jerk says…he's just trying to hurt ya…"

'And he succeeded…another thing I failed at…'

"Kitten…it wasn't your fault…"

"But it was! I shouldn't have stayed and fought! I should've just taken Leo and ran! But-…I just couldn't…"

She buried her face in his shoulder, not wanting to show her sadness.

"Shhhh…its okay…"

He rocked her gently, trying to calm her.

"…I'm sorry…I should've done more…"

"That's not possible…you did all ya could…"

She nodded slightly after a moment, looking up slightly.

"If anyone ever makes ya think that again…"

"You'll beat 'em up, right?" She asked, a teasing smile on her face.

"Exactly."

A hand cupped her cheek.

"Who'd want to hurt ya, anyway?"

She blushed, but couldn't break eye contact.

"Think it's 'cause they can't see yer chest?"

She giggled, punching him in the arm.

"You're such a joker sometimes, you know that?"

"…Only with my little Kitten…"

He nuzzled her neck, and a soft purr escaped her.

He smirked, kissing her neck, and she giggled, wiggling slightly.

"That tickles…" She giggled out, and he moved up to her lips.

"How's that?" He whispered in her ear.

"Hmmmm…tastes like chocolate…have you been holding out on me?"

He smirked.

"Ya taste like vanilla…have some ice cream lately?"

She smiled.

"Maybe…want another taste?"

"Glad ya asked."

This kiss was more heated than the last, tongues battling for dominance.

"…What are you guys doing?"

"AHHHHHHH!!!"

They fell back, landing on a pile of leaves, and Cat looked up to see a surprised Mikey.

'Oh shell!'

She pushed Raph off in her panic.

"Mikey, it's not what you think-!!"

"So you guys WEREN'T making out?"

"…No, you've got it…"

He tilted his head in a questioning manner.

"So…you guys are…together?"

She nodded slightly, giving Raph an apologetic smile as he finally got up.

"…So…you guys do this often?"

"Mikey, why all the personal questions?"

"Just wondering…"

She stood up, her legs still shaking, and turned to Mikey.

"Please don't tell the others, Mikey…we didn't want anyone to know…"

He looked at his sister, violet eyes pleading with him.

"…Sure…no prob…"

She hugged him, smiling gratefully.

'Thank you, Mikey…now I just need my blades…'

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cat looked up from the book she was reading, looking into space.

"Cat?"

She looked up at Don.

"Oh…hey, Donnie…"

"…You miss your blades?"

She nodded slightly, her fingers ghosting over her belt.

"…Want some help?"

She looked at him, confused for a moment, until she understood his question.

She looked at her right arm, seeing two lines of blood showing through. Don said they'd scar…

She shook the thought away.

"Yeah."

Cat stood up, smiling.

"Can't go back home without new ones."

"My daughter."

She turned to Splinter, and smiled.

"Sensei."

"I have a gift for you, my child."

He held up a box, opening it to show two blades like hers, only the hilt was white, a silver water design on the hilts and a silver turtle shell on the bottom. The blades looked freshly polished, the edges deadly sharp, with her name written in elegant kanji on one side of each blade.

"I was planning to give you these as a present later on, but it seems you need them."

She carefully picked up the blades, twirling them.

"They're beautiful…thank you, sensei…"

"You're welcome."

She put them on her belt, and her once tense muscles relaxed.

She looked around.

"I haven't seen Raph or Leo in a while…not to mention Mikey…"

"I think Raph and Mikey are in the barn…Mikey's probably on a walk again…" Don answered.

She nodded, and sat by the window, looking out. She saw Mikey come back, and a strange van drew up, with a muscle-bound woman.

'…OKAY…'

She saw Casey and April talk to her, and Mikey crouched under her window, hidden.

She opened it.

"Hey, Mikey."

"AHH!"

He muffled his scream, and glared at her.

"What did you do this time?"

She folded her arms on the sill, smiling.

"Nothing!"

Don came behind her, and said who the woman was.

"Really? 'Cause I really don't wanna know…"

"Why?" Don asked her.

"If I know, then you guys will pull me into a retarded plan that will make me do something stupid, and then I'll regret it and save your asses when it fails." She answered with a knowing smile, walking further into the house.

She could already sense a great stupidity in the future, and stretched her right arm slowly, trying to loosen it.

'Better take a nap before they decide to do anything…Casey'll probably help them out, too…'

She laid on the couch, falling asleep rather peacefully, but she woke up to sounds from outside.

She looked out the window, and saw Don and Mikey's faces in the back of a van.

'…Reminds me of Raphie…'

She groaned, getting up, and went outside. She looked up at her brother's panicking, relieved faces before taking one of her blades and stabbing it into the controls.

The doors hissed open, and the two fell out.

"MAN!! It's FREEZING in there!!"

Cat shook her head, grabbing them and dragging them inside.

"Next time you walk into the back of a van…DON'T!!!!"

"I got that…"

She hit them both upside the head, and went upstairs to a spare bedroom.

She was happy to just fall asleep in a comfortable bed…

She woke up late, and sat up, stretching, to hear Mikey calling for her.

"What, Mikey?!"

"Raph wants us to see something!!"

She groaned, getting out of bed, and went down to the barn. She stood with the others, rubbing cutely at her eye.

"What's up, Raphie?"

He only smirked, saying, "I'd like ya'll to meet the new and improved Leonardo!"

Leo stepped out of the shadows of the barn, twirling his new katana.

"Whoa! Nice new look!" Cat teased, smiling.

"But seriously, nice new swords."

Everyone agreed, and Leo sheathed his swords.

"I think it's time we head back to New York."

'Yeah…and I can get some payback…' Cat thought, tracing her pale green scars…


	18. Chapter 18

"We're home!! We're home-We're home-WE'RE HOME!!! Where's Old Betsy?!"

Cat ran to where she'd left it, and hugged the wooden instrument.

"I missed her SO much!!"

She stood up, and started playing.

"Yep. Still got it." She said with a smile, and saw Mikey blow old milk on Casey.

"…I'm not even going to get in that…"

Don had turned on all of his computers, and Mikey seemed happy enough to just kiss the bags of chips.

"Why wouldn't the Foot ninja be in the sewers anymore?"

She turned to Raph.

"'Cause he thinks there's nothing left to look for." She answered after a moment, putting her guitar down.

Casey looked confused, and Cat sighed, putting a hand to her temples.

"Shredder thinks we all died at April's place, so he's susceptible to a surprise attack."

Casey seemed to understand, and April started hacking into the Foot Headquarters security system. Splinter suggested they bring the Sword of Tengu, and Raph goes to grab it.

"Raphie, the-!"

Raph got blasted back into the couch.

"…Glove…" Cat finished.

She went to his side, and he gave the glove to Leo.

"You'd better think before touching something, mister!" Cat scolded playfully, helping him up.

April hacked in, and sayed she'll stay to work them through it.

"Okay. Casey, you stay to protect April, just in case."

Leo turned to Cat, and she gave him a curious look as she kept her hands on her blades.

"Cat…I don't think you should come…"

"…Excuse me?"

Her tone was dangerous, and Leo flinched.

"I think it's too soon-."

"If it's because my arm's still sore, I'll get over it! I'm not bloody staying here and let you guys have your shells handed to you! And I swear to kami, if it's because I'm a girl-!!!"

"NO!!!!! It's not that!!!" Leo defended, remembering what happened last time someone told her she couldn't do something because she was a girl.

…Let's just say Mikey had some nice cuts and bruises after that…

"Then I'm bloody going!!!" She said forcefully, glaring.

'I'm not letting any of you go through what I did…'

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They were getting out of the pipes when the Battle Shell was exploded and Don looked a bit sad.

"I loved that thing…"

Cat smiled as she put a hand on his shoulder.

"And you'll love the next one just as much."

They headed into the hallways, trying to enter a room.

Raph had a simple and effective solution…bash through it…

"Well, that's one way…" Cat muttered as she followed her brothers and sensei inside, facing off against a horde of ninja.

"Well…this is just great…"

She pulled out her blades, smirking.

"I've been looking forward to giving these babies a test run, anyway…"

She jumped in, slashing at a few and delivering a powerful kick. Her brothers and sensei joined her, and she only slowed down when her right arm throbbed slightly.

The wounds had healed enough to stop bleeding, but they still hurt her arm.

She jumped up when Mikey kicked a Foot ninja under her, making him crash into a computer screen beside Don.

"Do you two mind? I'm trying to work here."

"Sorry, bro. I'll try to keep the angry ninja away." Cat joked, jumping over a ninja and kicking him in the head.

She put her blades on her belt, and smiled as she looked at the defeated ninja around them.

"Well, that was a good warm up. Where to next, Donnie?"

"There's a ventilation shaft."

He led them to it, and they crawled up.

They came out in a ware house-like room full of weapons and machines.

"Mikey, don't-."

Mikey blew dust in his face with a weird gun.

"…Touch anything…" Cat finished, smacking him upside the head before following Don and Splinter.

She stopped, sensing a presence…or more than one…

She'd always been sensitive to life forces and the spiritual world than her brothers, for that was a kunoichi's aim, but she felt sure something was wrong. It wasn't a spirit, like she was used to, but a living presence.

She looked around, noticing her family stop to look at her curiously.

"My daughter?"

"Someone's here."

Her eyes narrowed, and she caught an ankle.

'Foot Tech ninja…'

She gave a vicious punch to the chest, and the invisible ninja flew.

"Foot Tech ninja!" She warned, ducking from a punch.

She had her eyes closed, sensing them out rather than looking for them with her eyes.

Unlike her brother's, she had trained hard to achieve the ability to do so, since Splinter told her that a kunoichi was known for her spiritual power as well as her physical.

She was doing fine, but her brothers sure weren't.

'What would they do without me?'

She saw Raph get on one of the weapons, blasting at the ninja and momentarily disabling their cloaking devices.

One got an even BIGGER machine, and shot a missile.

Raph jumped off his own, and it spun into the air before exploding and making a hole in the ceiling.

Cat defended Don as he rummaged through his duffel bag, pulling out a new kind of shuriken, throwing it at one and short-circuiting it.

Leo had his grip on another, but it threw him and disappeared as he got buried in rubble.

"Leo!!"

Cat ran to his side, and struggled to lift up sheets of metal before her brothers and father came to help.

She glared when the machine came closer, and turned to see Leo almost free.

"I'm tired of running. I'll end this!"

She jumped up on the machine, about to press the red button when the Foot Tech ninja appeared, trying to restrain her. She growled, reaching for the button.

"Get the shell off!!" She snarled, punching him and pressing the button, stopping the machine.

She was thrown off, landing on her recently-healed arm heavily.

'BLOODY SHELL!!!!!' She cursed, sitting up.

She winced as she felt her arm throb, but shook it away as the machine started up again.

She was kicked in the chest, flying back, and didn't have time to regain her bearings before she was picked up and flung into the wall across from where she'd been.

"…Ow…"

She sat up as Raph broke open a couple fire extinguishers, the smoke revealing the three Foot Tech ninja.

After Don made them short-circuit, they headed to the next floor through the hole in the ceiling, finding themselves in a Foot genetics lab.

"…Another one? How many of these does the Shredder need? Seriously…"

The alarm went off, and everyone looked at Mikey.

"I didn't touch anything, I swear!!"

One of the glass containers opened, letting out a strange green liquid, and a strange Shredder clone stepped out, four arms looking menacing, as the other two came out.

"…Aw shell…"


	19. Chapter 19

"So…what do you think we should do, Donnie? Play dead?" Cat joked, but they could tell it was a little forced.

She did NOT like the idea of fighting clones of the Shredder. It only reminded her of her last encounter more forcefully.

She jumped over a clawed fist, trying to keep from getting cut up, and only succeeding in backing herself into a wall.

'Shell!!!'

As the claw came down, ready to rip her apart, she felt a new fire in her chest, and power seemed to flood her veins, screaming at her that she couldn't die now.

She raised a fist, punching the genetic clone in the chest and sending it flying.

The power faded, and she only breathed until she could stabilize again.

'What was THAT?'

But she didn't have much time to wonder before she saw Don getting crushed in a bear hug.

She jumped up on the brutes shoulder, hitting a pressure point harder than she usually did.

It fell to the floor like a rock, with Don free, and both turtles moved as Splinter and Mikey toppled one of the glass containers on the behemoth. Mikey's Shell Cell rang, and he gave it to Don, who's headset was gone, who took out the headset and talked with April.

He found out about a private elevator, but it's on the other side of the gaping hole in the wall.

"…Just great!! How are we supposed to get across this?! JUMP?!"

Don pulled out rope and a grappling hook. He got it around a pipe, and swung across. He threw it back, and Mikey swung across, doing a Tarzan yell.

He threw it back, and Raph caught it when the other two clones came at them.

He handed it to Leo, taking out his sai, and Cat told him to take Splinter as she pulled out her own blades.

She wasn't about to leave Raph to fight two genetic clones of Shredder all by himself!

They were backed up to the edge of the hole when Leo threw the rope back.

Raph caught it, grabbing her around the waist before swinging off, but the lobster-clawed clone cut the rope, and she couldn't help the short cry of surprise that clawed its way out of her throat.

Raph had caught hold of a pipe coming out of the flooring, and she only looked at the floor a moment, seeing the Foot and Hun, before hugging him back, hiding her face in his shoulder.

"PLEASE tell me this is a horrible nightmare…"

"Its okay, Kitten…I won't let 'em hurt ya…" He soothed, trying to find a way to get both of them out of this mess.

"Raph, don't move until I tell you to!"

"Are ya CRAZY, Leo?"

"Trust me!"

Cat tightened her grip as Raph pulled her in front of him.

"It's gonna be okay…"

She nodded mutely.

"NOW!!!!"

Raph flipped off the pipe, making the missile hit the lobster-clawed clone, and they were soon with their family.

"…I'm NEVER doing that again!!!" Cat forced out, releasing the red-banded turtle.

Don tried calling the elevator as the four-armed clone and the small one jumped across the hole in the floor. Cat pulled out her blades, smacking the small one away as the elevator doors opened.

They ran in, and the doors closed behind them. Cat breathed out a sigh of relief, her chest rising and falling heavily.

She was about to relax, the throbbing in her right arm forcing itself into her mind, when the door started being forced open.

"Oh shell!!"

Don took out a special shuriken, throwing it at the door and shocking the clones, making them fall back. Leo lifted up a door in the ceiling.

"Go up!"

They used Mikey's nunchucks to jump up, and pulled him up after them.

"What now?" Mikey asked.

Cat saw a cable, and pulled her youngest brother towards it.

"Hold onto this!"

Everyone obeyed, and she only flinched when the clones busted through.

She cut another cable, and grabbed a tight hold of the one her family was on as theirs went up and the elevator flew down. She grabbed on tighter as the elevator hit the last floor and the rope jerked up.

She nearly lost her grip, but her brothers landed safely.

Raph forced a door open, and they end up in a large hallway, a door with the Foot clan symbol at the end.

Splinter said it was booby trapped, so jumped off the walls to get across safely. Don did the same, and Cat was about to go next when Raph just started running.

"Raphie, the-!!!"

He pressed a button in the floor, and blades and saws came out.

"…Booby traps…"

Cat groaned, smacking her forehead as Raph got across.

Mikey went next, and his cockiness nearly got his head cut off. Leo and her went through fine, and Cat just smacked Mikey and Raph upside the head before they went through the door.

It was a strange stone temple, five statues showing symbols for the five elements.

Cat had always liked reading about spirits of the elements and so on, so she could tell which symbol meant which.

"Earth, fire, water, wind, and metal…" She muttered, and the statues came to life, jumping down to surround them.

'…Shell…'

She was blasted back by a blast of tecni-colored light, and her shell made contact with a wall.

"…Ow…"

She got up, seeing her family fighting, and pulled out her blades. She was about to move when earth grabbed her, holding her against the wall.

"Shell!!"

She glared, when the pointed end of a staff came to her throat. She glared, and the fire in her chest nearly glowed through her chest.

The living statue moved back, as if it could feel the light and it burned.

The earth around her crumbled, and she pulled back a fist.

When it connected, she was surprised that the creature shattered into earth, and regenerated.

She dodged a strike, and jumped back. She saw Splinter grab the Sword of Tengu without the protective glove, and start fighting the elementals.

She moved with her brothers to get farther away, and watched in amazement as he defeated them.

The temple collapsed, and Cat ran forward.

"Sensei!!!"

She saw his hand come out of some rubble, and raced over, starting to dig him out.

"Sensei!! Sensei, are you okay?!"

She helped pull him out with Raph and Mikey as Leo searched for the sword. Cat winced when she saw his burned hands.

"…Sensei…"

"Only a true master can wield the sword without the protective glove…without paying a price…"

She nodded mutely as Don wrapped up his hands.

Don asked April where they could get out, and she says there might be a private elevator. Leo found it behind a tapestry, and sheathed his katana and making sure the Sword of Tengu was secure before they all stepped in.

"Where does this take us?" Cat asked after the doors shut.

A moment of silence, and she could almost hear April's voice.

"Straight to the top."

Cat put a hand on her right arm, willing the sore throb to stop, and turned around when Splinter started talking.

"No matter what happens, know that I'm proud of you all. My ninja. My children."

She nodded, straightening unconsciously before the door opened.

They were in what looked like a waiting room, with the Foot symbol covering everything, and busted through to a Japanese style room, the same symbol on the far wall.

Cat tensed.

She felt multiple life forces, multiple presences, and her eyes already moved across the room, pin-pointing them.

'Foot Elite…'

She already felt the healed bruises try to burn their way back onto her skin, but she pushed the feeling away. She turned her head slightly, feeling another presence.

'This isn't my bloody day, is it?'

She put a hand on Leo's shoulder, giving him a knowing look, and he took the warning faster than she expected. The elite appeared, each in a puff of smoke, and Hun appeared in the doorway behind them.

Nobody moved, and Cat pulled out her blades.

'They're not attacking…'

Mikey pointed it out as well, but more as a question, and Cat looked directly where the last presence stood, hidden from sight.

"They're waiting for orders…"

"Just as perceptive as ever, Caterina."

She nearly growled as the Shredder stepped out of the shadows.

"You would have made a great kunoichi."

"I AM a great kunoichi!" She countered forcefully, trying to stop the shaking in her heart that threatened to spread.

She didn't notice her violet colored eyes flash blood red, only for a moment, but it seemed Splinter and her brothers did, for they gave her worried looks.

The Foot Elite attacked, and she blocked a strike before delivering one of her own.

She was forced back into the wall before she noticed that Hun had grabbed her sensei, lifting him off the ground.

She kicked off the elite, and appeared behind the large man.

She tapped his shoulder, and smirked, pulling back her fist when he turned.

MAN, it felt good to punch him in the face and see him fly into a wall.

"You'd better remember that next time you try that with my sensei, ya jerk!!! Or my foot will go up your ass next time!!!"

The Foot Elite were defeated, and they faced the Shredder when a strange robot burst through the floor, revealing Stockman's head.

'Just great…something ELSE I didn't need…' Cat thought darkly as he started rambling.

But it soon became obvious he was there to try and kill ALL of them, so she just smacked her forehead again.

'…This is DEFINITELY not my day…'


	20. Chapter 20

Cat moved back, jumping up when Stockman shot some missiles at them.

She was surprised that she was soon on a column, sticking to it in a crouch. When she realized it wasn't possible, she started sliding off, and gripped on tighter.

She jumped off when Stockman aimed a missile at her. She saw him beat up Hun and the Shredder, and turn on them.

"…This isn't good…"

He shot at them with a machine gun and a flamethrower, and grabbed Splinter after having knocked him off.

"Hey!!"

Cat ran in, punching the arm and smirking at the dent as the elderly rat was released. He was forced back near the hole he'd created, and Mikey and Don threw rope and grappling hooks to tie his legs together.

Her and Raph tackled him, sending him down the hole. Shredder turned on them again, but Stockman flew back up and attacked them again.

"Oh come ON! Why don't you just die already?"

They fought hard, and Leo cut off a machine gun arm, and the Shredder followed up by cutting off a leg. The others kicked Stockman through a wall, and Cat wasn't about to be fooled twice.

She searched for his life force, and growled when she felt it was still alive.

"Guys-!"

Stockman busted through the wall.

"…Stockman's still alive…" She finished, getting frustrated.

She ran at him from behind, cutting at the two packs on his back, and smirked in satisfaction when he fell.

"FINALLY! I was wondering when he'd shut up!"

He got back up though, and she threw her arms into the air in angry frustration.

"WHAT DOES A TURTLE HAVE TO DO TO GET A BREAK AROUND HERE!?!"

She was too infuriated to listen to another rant of Stockman's, but Don apparently heard something useful, and grabbed the dismembered robotic arm before firing.

It seemed that Stockman was blown apart, but Cat didn't have time to make sure before the Shredder attacked.

She was smacked into the floor before she could blink, and barely avoided getting stomped on.

She got up when she saw the Shredder kick Splinter though a wall, and her heart clenched in her chest as her throat closed up.

"S-SENSEI!!!!"

Leo took his own rope and grappling hook, and swung down to catch the elderly rat.

Cat's eyes flashed red as she glared at the Shredder.

"I should kill you for trying to hurt him!" She snarled, her grip tightening on her blades.

She moved faster, and she hardly realized her blows were becoming stronger until she punched him through a wall and into a Japanese-style garden.

She froze, not having realized her strength, when her brothers moved past her into the garden.

She snapped out of it, joining them, but with her strength not as it had been, she was soon knocked away.

That's when what sounded like thunder reached her ears, and she turned to see Leo holding the sword, protective glove in place, and said turtle blasted Shredder with it.

The Shredder called some Foot ninja that were using the same machines Raph had earlier, and they were shot at.

Cat jumped behind a large boulder, and looked around for her brothers, seeing Leo nearly get blasted and the metal glove and sword fly next to the man-made pond.

She saw the Shredder move for it, and, since Raph and Don seemed to be doing okay with the flying ninja, she moved to stop him.

She jumped in between him and the sword, and felt a bit more confidant when Leo was next to her.

"You're not touching this sword as long as I have anything to say about it!!"

The Foot Elite appeared around them, and Cat could hardly shake away the memories that tried to force their way into her mind.

She dodged faster, struck harder than she remembered doing before, but she only felt her heart stop when one of the flaming machines dropped down on the sword, making her jump away.

"Raph, you couldn't have WARNED me?"

"A little too busy jumping off, Kitten."

She didn't retort, only knocked out a Foot Elite with a powerful punch to the face, and made sure her brothers had done alright before seeing the Shredder digging for the sword.

"Hey!"

He called an army of Foot ninja, and Cat was about ready to blow.

It was getting old already!

Before she felt she would explode, a group of trench-coat wearing men jumped down, pulling out glowing blue blades.

They held off the Foot ninja, and the turtles moved to Shredder.

That's when he grabbed hold of the sword, blasting them away.

Cat hit the grass hard on her shell, but she didn't have time to gain her bearings before a foot slammed on her chest.

She choked in a scream of pain, and gritted her teeth.

"You're still weak…"

He lifted her up off her feet, holding the sword threateningly.

"The weak don't deserve to live…"

"I'm not weak." She forced out in a low growl.

"Then show me."

She felt a dark power, like a dark flame in her chest, spread through her veins.

It was…different…from the other flame, more evil…tainted…it was the darkness she'd always feared…

Her eyes bled from violet to red, and she grabbed his wrist, crushing it as her pupils narrowed to dangerous slits.

"Then I'll show you…"

She could sense his surprise as she crushed his wrist, and she felt a tornado in her chest.

When the power dispersed, it was like the Shredder was knocked back by an invisible force, and she landed on all fours like a large cat, snarling.

She couldn't help the darkness.

That's why she feared it.

All it wanted to do was kill, and it never knew when to stop.

Her nightmares always consisted of this darkness, this nameless evil that would kill her family and leave her with blood on her hands.

She ran forward, slashing at him, and the Sword of Tengu flew out of his hands as a crater was formed in his chest once again.

The sword stuck in the ground, and she felt the darkness wrap itself around her like a blanket, clouding her vision.

"Kitten…"

Her head snapped up, her eyes locking with familiar crimson-brown orbs.

"Kitten, it's okay…"

She felt the power try to tighten it's hold on her senses, make her lose herself, but his voice kept her from giving in.

"R-Raphie…"

The darkness started lightening, a light making it turn red, then pink, then almost white as her eyes turned a light blue-white.

"Kitten…what's going on…?"

"I-I…I don't know…"

She felt it fade, and she returned to normal, panting for breath before trying to stand up.

She nearly fell, but Raph caught her.

"Are ya okay?"

"…I'm not sure…"

She saw Leo grab the Sword of Tengu, and the Shredder grab the blue-hilted twin katana. They jumped at each other, and they landed, the Shredder's head coming off.

Cat relaxed, and Raph held her bridal style as Don used the robotic arm and the Sword of Tengu to destroy all the tech in the building. The sword shattered, and they headed to get Splinter.

When they didn't find him there, only his walking stick lying on the ground, worry started gripping at Cat's heart, trying to rip at it like a rabid animal.

Police sirens reached her ears, and she looked up at Raph with sad, hesitant violet eyes.

"W-We need to go…"

Leo nodded, telling Don to hot-wire a helicopter.

As they flied off, Cat looked out the windows, leaning her forehead on the cool glass.

'…Please be okay, sensei…'


	21. Chapter 21

Cat's patience was wearing thin, but she never showed it.

She'd search, she'd scavenge, she'd run herself off her feet, but she'd never show her brothers how worried she was.

The darkness kept trying to force itself back in, and she found it hard to argue when it told her Splinter was gone, that she had no one to help her.

Whenever the fight was too much for her, she'd sneak off to her room and cry. She was always glad when Raph would come in, worried, and try to comfort her.

She'd usually cry herself to sleep, muttering her fears and worries.

She'd always wake up in his arms, him either looking tired or fast asleep, still holding onto her tight.

On this particular day, Raph seemed angrier than usual, and Cat watched with worried eyes as he yelled at his brothers and ran out. She assured her other brothers that she'd find him, and followed after him.

She saw him on a rooftop, scanning the alleys, and she landed behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He nearly jumped, but relaxed when he saw her worried violet eyes.

"Kitten…"

"Raph, we'll find him…"

"…Ya hardly believe that yerself…"

Her eyes widened slightly.

"I think we'll find him…we have to…"

Her grip tightened unconsciously on his shoulder as a veil of tears made her vision blur.

"…I can't take it anymore…I can't keep this darkness away…"

He turned to her, cupping her cheek as a tear escaped her.

"Yer not that weak…ya can get through this, Kitten…"

She closed her eyes, leaning her head on his shoulder as she brought him into a shaky hug.

"I-I'm not always as strong as I seem, Raphie…I-I can only take so much…"

Her eyes opened when he pulled her into a kiss, but she didn't hesitate to return it.

She was surprised when she found herself on the ground, him on top, still kissing, his knee separating her legs slowly was like delicious torture.

She couldn't help the purr, and she kissed him deeper.

She pulled back when she heard crates being knocked over, and looked worriedly at Raph, giving him a quick peck before getting up, moving to the edge. She saw a group of men in suits going through the alley, searching for something, and saw a boy in a dumpster, hiding.

She watched as the men were about to leave, but the boy knocked something over, making them turn around.

She looked at Raph, and smiled.

"Once we're done saving this kid, we'll continue where we left of, 'kay?"

He nodded, smirking.

"I don't see anything wrong with that."

She nodded, jumping down and landing silently.

"Hey!"

The thugs turned to her, one getting a punch to the gut.

"Why not mess with someone your own size? It's not fair to pick on a little kid."

The guys didn't seem threatened, but she was used to that.

If they wanted to get cocky because she was a girl, then all the easier for her to kick their butts.

The men rushed her, but she smirked when she saw Raph land behind them.

"Your loss, idiots."

She pulled out her blades, slashing at them as she dodged. She saw the kid behind Raph, and a flash bomb blinded the red-banded turtle.

"Raphie!"

She jumped in front of the two, a powerful kick sending the offending thug across the alley.

"You basturds better back off before I count to five and kick your asses!"

She looked ready to kill, and she probably was, for her eyes flashed red, but she held back the bloodlust.

They ran like bats out of hell, and she turned to the two behind her.

"Let's get on the rooftops, you two."

She picked up the boy with one arm before he could object, and used her other hand to guide Raph onto the rooftops.

She led them a fair distance away, and put down the boy.

"Now, why are those guys after you?"

He explained that his mother had gotten a recording of a gangster that day, and she'd given it to him before telling him to run.

He wanted to go save her, and Cat looked at Raph worriedly.

"Well…I say we help…what about you, Raph?"

"…I say we help 'em…but there's a problem…I can't see!!"

She sighed, moving over and looking at the familiar amber eyes, seeing they were glazed over.

"…It should come back, I think…but you two will need to work together to make this work."

The boy, Tyler, gave her a surprised, confused look.

"You need to be his eyes. You two need to come up with a system while I go check this warehouse place out, 'kay?"

Both nodded, and she moved silently over the rooftops, soon looking at it while perching on the edge of a rooftop like a gargoyle.

Her eyes scanned the building, watching the guards and anything else that moved, when she saw a woman through a window, but it was impossible to reach from the ground or her perch on the roof corner.

She glared down, and turned her head slightly when she heard someone land behind her, and smiled slightly when she saw Raph, Tyler on his back.

"Ready?"

Raph nodded, and she smiled, grabbing hold of his hand and leading him down.

They got in okay, but…let's just say that when you bring a boy that's NOT a ninja into a warehouse, things don't go too well…

"Look, it's the little girl! And her boyfriend!"

Cat snarled, tightening her grip on the red-banded turtle's hand.

"Come and say that to my face, you coward!"

She saw a large man lumber through the thugs, removing his coat.

"Is the little girl going to try and play with the big boys?" He scoffed.

She glared, releasing Raph's hand and moving forward.

"I've played with the big boys, and I've beaten 'em up pretty bad. You up for a smack down from a 'little girl'?"

He smirked, saying, "Those are some big words. Can you even back them up?"

"I can back 'em up, and then some." She retorted, clenching her fists.

"Are we gonna fight, or are you all talk and no action?"

She smirked when she saw the anger on his face, and slid into a fighting stance. He ran at her, and she stood her ground, punching him in the stomach.

He stepped back, gripping it in pain, and she smiled cockily.

"What's wrong? Did the 'little girl' hurt you?" She teased, barely dodging a surprisingly quick fist.

She turned serious, dodging and blocking as fast and fluidly as she could.

She was bull-rushed into the circle of men surrounding them, and her arms were restrained.

She growled, her eyes flashing red, ESPECIALLY when one tried to grope her.

"Not so tough NOW, huh?"

She glared, saying, "I swear to the lord, when I get outta this, there's gonna be shell to pay!!!"

"Hey!!"

She smiled when Raph kicked the larger man away.

Tyler helped Raph find out where the larger man was, and Cat was ready to pull some men off her arms when one grabbed Tyler.

"HEY!!! Let him go!!!"

She flipped a couple men over her shoulder as she pulled her arm forward, and she elbowed one behind her, who lost his grip on her waist. She aimed a fist at the ones on her left side, and was soon free.

She stepped behind the one holding Tyler, and tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned around, and she couldn't help the smile as she punched him in the face.

"Go, Tyler!" She ordered, whipping around to give a spinning kick to a few thugs behind her.

He obeyed, and she held off any thugs that tried to grab the young boy when Raph beat up the large man.

She grinned, and moved to her brothers side as Tyler grabbed his hand, leading him to the room his mother was supposed to be in. The thugs tried following them, and Cat told them to keep moving as she looked at the stacks of crates around them.

She punched one loose, and the whole thing fell, making a rather effective barricade.

She turned to see Raph unlock the door and move to hide, so she followed suit.

When Tyler and his mother had gotten out safely, she went to Raph's side.

She looked at his eyes worriedly.

"What are ya worried about?"

She was about to reply when the statement really hit her.

"Y-You can see again!"

"Yep. Now let's go kick some shell."

She nodded, cracking her knuckles easily before following her brother easily over the toppled crates.

It felt SO good to beat up those punks, it wasn't even funny!

They left, and Cat watched as Tyler dragged his mom into their apartment building, looking happy.

"Now, about our deal…"

She smiled back at Raph.

"You get your sight back, and the first thing you want after beating up punks is to make out…"

"Hey, that's roughly the order I'd like things to be in."

She rolled her eyes playfully.

"What? So I'm behind beating up punks?"

"Who said that?"

She smiled ever so slightly when he grabbed her hand, pulling her closer.

"I never said that's EXACTLY the order I'd like things to end up in…"

"Really? Then what would it be?" She teased, violet eyes twinkling with laughter.

"This…"

He kissed her deeply, and she purred in content as she returned the kiss.

'…When we find sensei…will he approve?'


	22. Season 2: Chapter 22

"…Next time you guys pull me up onto a platform we know nothing about after me and Don get shot…remind me to hit you…"

"…Next time you guys pull me up onto a platform we know nothing about after me and Don get shot…remind me to hit you…"

"I didn't want to end up here!"

"Talk to the hand, Leo…Talk to the hand…"

Cat turned around to see the high-tech army soldiers, and quirked an eyebrow.

"…OKAY…Does anyone get the feeling we shouldn't be here?"

Cracking her shoulders and neck, she faced the soldiers.

"Cool guns! Can I get one?" Mikey joked.

"OW!!"

He pouted at Cat.

"Not now."

Pulling out her blades, Cat smirked.

"Ready?"

"Let's go, Kitten."

Unsheathing their blades, her brothers followed her in the attack.

She jumped over their shots, laughing from an overhead alley pipe.

"What? Can't hit a girl with your fancy ray guns?"

Jumping down, Cat slashed their guns apart.

"Oh, did I break your toys?"

With a smirk, she did a split kick, hitting two away, and did a spinning kick to hit the third.

"Aw…I think I broke your nose…"

Jumping up, she back-flipped over another soldier, her foot smacking into his temple.

Landing in a crouch, she stood up to see the pile her brother's had made.

"What the shell was that all about?"

Shrugging at her blue-banded brother's question, she tensed as footsteps entered her hearing range.

"Guys…"

"What?"

"…We've got trouble, Donnie…"

Turning to the mouth of the rather large alley, beams of light caught their eye.

"…Uh oh…"

Mikey hid behind her shell, making Cat roll her eyes.

"Okay, guys. Fight or flight?"

"I choose fight."

Cat suppressed the urge to roll her eyes again.

"You ALWAYS choose fight, Raphie…"

"Excuse me? Terrapin creatures?"

The five turtles turned to see a strange robot in an opening in an alley wall.

"Follow me!"

As lasers fired, Cat pushed Mikey towards it.

"Move your shells! We're going!"

Dodging fire on the way, Cat jumped through the hole, landing in a crouch.

"Hurry! Those Federation troops won't give up a chase so easily!" The robot warned, running up some stairs.

"Move it, slowpokes!" Cat called, running ahead of them.

After going up all those flights of stairs, they were on the roof.

"How are we supposed ta get down?"

Cat shrugged, looking around, when Mikey turned to look behind them.

"It's the Unwelcome Wagon!"

"Into that truck!"

Cat looked from the rushing truck to her blue-banded brother.

"You're CRAZY!!"

She saw the soldiers come closer.

"But I'm willing to try!!"

The robot moved back.

"I can't! I don't like heights!"

"How do ya feel 'bout laser guns?" Raph countered, and the four brothers jumped down.

"Come on!"

Cat grabbed the robot's arm, running along the rooftop's edge before jumping in.

Looking out of the garbage truck, the unfamiliar sights threatened to overwhelm her.

"Where are we?" Mikey asked curiously.

"Somethin' tells me we ain't in Manhattan…" Raph noted.

"I don't even think we're on Earth…" Don stated.

After a while, the truck stopped in what seemed to be a market place, and they all got out.

"Earth. Is that your home planet? I don't believe it's in THIS galaxy. At least, I've never heard of it…"

"Where the shell are we?!" Raph questioned hotly.

"Raphie!"

Cat pulled him back.

"Don't start."

After saying the complicated names of the planet and galaxy, Cat was silent a moment.

"…We're not even in the same GALAXY?"

"Master Splinter is so far away…so helpless…"

Cat turned sympathetic eyes to her oldest brother.

"…We'll find a way, Leo…I promise…"

"How? We don't even know how we got here!" Don asked.

"I've been wondering that myself. How did you all materialize like that?"

Cat smacked her forehead.

'Here comes some geek-speak…'

"You guys can compare theories later!"

Turning to look down the street, they saw the Federation troops, followed by a tank.

"…Why don't WE get a tank? A nice, BIG tank. Donnie can do it, right?"

The tank came one way, the troops another, and the group backed up.

"Um…any bright ideas?"

"Follow me!"

Following Leo's order, everyone ducked into the booth beside them, and stealthily got away through what seemed to be a manhole.

The pipe was like a waterslide, and Cat felt like she was flying down as fast as a bullet.

After flying into the main pipe, accidentally landing on Raph, who caught her, they looked around.

"These sewers are better than the ones back home…Don't like the surface, but this is nice!"

Cat smiled innocently.

"But I wouldn't mind getting a nice laser gun and going back up there…maybe steal a tank…"

Raph smirked.

"I'm with ya on that one, Kitten."

"Great. I'll need an accomplice…"

She heard Don ask the robot why those soldiers were after him, and she turned to hear the story.

After hearing his story, where he introduced himself as Professor Honeycutt, Cat felt bad for him.

'Poor guy…He just wants to help people with his smarts…like Donnie…'

"Wait…are you guys thinking what I'M thinking?"

After a moment, Cat smirked.

"That teleportal will be the perfect thing to get us home…"

"No offense, professor. These sewers are nice and all, but they don't have the same sweet sewer stank ours have."

"How DO they keep these sewers so clean?" Raph asked.

"I think it has something to do with THAT!" Don answered, pointing it at the large, sharp-toothed machine that was coming at them with headlight eyes and menacing metal tentacles.

"…Aw shell…"

As they ran down the tunnel, the machine steadily gaining, Cat started panting as her strength left in a slow, steady trickle.

"Any bright ideas? Or am I gonna have to wrestle with this thing myself?"

"If you guys can slow it down, I think I can stop it!"

Cat stopped, turning sharply on her heel.

"Come on, guys!"

Running in, she grappled with two tentacles, crushing them in her fists.

"…That's just cool…"

"Raph, you can HELP!"

Using poles, the other three turtles helped hold back the machine as Don jumped on its back.

"Hurry up, Donnie!" Cat yelled, getting lifted into the air and thrown into a wall.

"…OW…"

When Don actually stopped the machine, Cat stood up, rubbing her shell.

"See? Piece of cake."

Glaring lightly at her purple-banded brother, she smacked him upside the head.

"OW!"

"Don't want another wiseass…"

Looking around, Cat saw a pipe leading up.

"Let's go."

Soon on the surface again, Cat looked around and hid in the shadows as two Federation soldiers questioned a shopkeeper.

They headed for a strange abandoned building, and Cat sighed.

"Those stupid soldiers are everywhere…"

"We need to get out of the city."

Leo turned to Raph.

"Raph, go find us some transportation."

"Back in two."

Raph ran off, and Mikey followed in order to 'keep an eye on him'.

"…If Mikey's doing that, I'd better watch HIM…"

Cat followed her orange-banded brother, feeling he was going to do something stupid.

When Raph was out of sight, she followed Mikey, who wanted to 'look for something good to eat'.

'…How'd I know? I'm like a frickin' mind reader with these four!'

She smacked her forehead when he was walking through the marketplace, grabbing a bag of what appeared to be chips.

'Mikey, I should hit you SO hard-!'

The cock of a gun being loaded made her move in front of her more dim-witted brother, a snarl rumbling in her chest.

"You mess with him, you mess with me!"

Clenching her fist, she grabbed a laser gun, snapping it with one hand and smacking them away.

"Run, Mikey! 'Cause if I catch you-!"

"I'm going!!"

The sound of lasers being fired made her jump back, a growl escaping her before she followed her brother as fast as she could, doing a sharp turn around a corner effortlessly.

Stopping at the sight of a tank, she looked between it and the soldiers.

"…I've got my work cut out for me…"

"Hide me!"

Rolling her eyes as Mikey hid behind her, she pulled out her blades.

She watched with wary violet eyes as the soldiers circled them, when the gun of the tank got between the two groups, knocking away the two soldiers.

"…Um…?"

The top opened, and Raph came out.

"Hurry up, guys. We've gotta meet up with the others."

Cat smiled.

"Well, if it isn't my knight in shining armor!"

Raph blushed, making Mikey snicker as the two got in.

After picking up the others, Leo seemed the only one unhappy with Raph's decision of choosing a tank for their transportation.

"We'll be fine, Leo. We're in a tank, for kami's sake!" Cat assured, grinning.

Some tanks began following them, and Raph smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah. REAL inconspicuous."

As they were blasted at, Cat smacked into a wall.

"…Could someone learn how to make this thing stop shaking?!"

Leo turned to Don, who had managed to stay in his seat.

"Open fire!"

"Um…Give me a sec. I'm a little rusty."

They rocked again as Raph did some tricky maneuvering.

Professor Honeycutt went into the mainframe, turning on the weapons.

Cat looked out the front window.

"Raph, if you're playing Chicken, you're gonna wish I couldn't get over there!"

He moved the tank out of the way, making two crash, and Don blasted behind them.

With one still chasing them, Raph used a wing to destroy a wall and crush it as they flew off.

"There are more up ahead!" Honeycutt warned.

"Open fire!"

As smoke filled the air and they drove through, they evacuated and hid in a smaller, dark alley.

As they tried to hide deeper in the darkness, Professor Honeycutt seemed oblivious.

"Where did those guys go?"

Cat rolled her eyes, covering his mouth.

"Hurry up before I lose my patience…"

Nodding, he followed her.

"You seem to be a very independent female. Those are hard to come by in this galaxy. They're usually executed."

"I'd like to see them try."

Cat smiled.

"Trust me, I'd have a grand time squashing these guys."

'And even more fun getting home…'


	23. Chapter 23

Cat glared as she saw the tank zoom into an alley across the street, followed by soldiers

Cat glared as she saw the tank zoom into an alley across the street, followed by soldiers.

Heading back through the alley to the others, she shrugged.

"Fifth patrol in an hour. These guys have too much free time."

Mikey's stomach growled, and he started talking to it.

"…Mikey…"

He looked up at Cat curiously.

"You're talking to your stomach…and I'M off my rocker?"

"Well, yes! YOUR guitar can't talk to you!"

"YOUR stomach can't talk to YOU!"

Leo, trying to bring attention back to the matter at hand, said, "We need an escape plan."

"We need to get off the planet quickly and quietly, which means smugglers. I believe I know of a good place." Honeycutt stated.

As they followed the robotic professor, Cat felt an uneasiness crawl up her shell.

'Something REALLY bad is gonna happen…I can feel it…'

Soon, they were looking at the front door of the inn, Cat trying to silence her own protesting stomach.

"We can't just walk in! Our pictures are everywhere!" Leo stated.

"Maybe its time we use the Ninjitsu art of Disguise."

Clothes on a line further off showed they had something, and they grabbed cloaks off the line…

Well…

Mikey and Cat kinda missed that train…

Cat just shrugged, pulling on the white dress, while Mikey complained.

"It's just a dress, Mikey. Now put it on before I make you!"

Cat pulled off her mask, tying it around her waist like a belt in order to accent the curves she had hidden because of her shell.

Pulling up the hood, she turned to her brothers.

"Let's go, then."

Walking through the inn, Cat couldn't help a smile at Mikey's discomfort, not noticing that some males were staring at her in particular.

When Mikey walked off, she felt the sudden urge to paddle him…

'Does he NEVER learn?'

He sat down at what seemed like a bar, and she followed.

"We're supposed to be finding a way off the planet, not eating." Cat whispered, glaring lightly at him.

"But I'm HUNGRY…" He whined.

When he ordered food, Cat covered her mouth in disgust.

"…Well, you have fun eating…"

Standing up, Cat got ready to ditch her unlucky brother when she noticed someone was in her way.

"Hey, baby."

Glaring lightly at the strange alien, she got ready to get past him, but his strange tentacles grabbed hold of her wrists.

"Let go." She ordered, putting a hint of frustration in her tone.

"Maybe I don't want to…it's nice having a beautiful woman so close…"

Blushing only slightly at the very thought of being beautiful, she pulled away.

"Sorry, but I'm not interested in you…"

Trying to keep her cool, Cat straightened.

"Come on. What's your number?"

"Let's see…five-five-five…"

She locked eyes with Mikey.

"…Kick in the head…"

Both kicked at the same moment, and Cat smirked.

"Nice one."

"Thanks."

That's when she noticed her youngest brother's hood had fallen.

"Mike!" She whispered sharply, and he understood in a moment.

Cat just wanted to kill him…

But the soldiers had broken in through the front door before she could try, and she cursed.

Now standing near the others, she felt the handles of her blades under her dress, ready to strike.

As the soldiers went through the group of aliens, Leo turned to the group.

"The back door."

Nodding, they moved inconspicuously towards it, when a gun bumped into Mikey's shell.

"Hey, get back in there!"

Cat grinned, moving between them.

"You know, you can't hit a lady…"

Mikey caught the smirk on her face.

"But a lady can hit you!"

She punched him in the chest, sending him flying.

"You go girl!"

She high-threed her younger brother as the troops caught sight of them.

Pulling off her dress, Cat grabbed her blades.

"Bring it on, chumps!"

Dashing among them as fast as she could, her blows could shatter bone.

They were soon surrounded soon, Don holding a blaster, and Cat growled.

Her fist seemed to glow.

"Ready to meet the center of your planet?"

The wall behind the soldiers exploded, filling the air with dust and debris.

Coughing, she looked through the dust at the strange triceratops-like aliens.

"…Aw, shell…I really liked those dinosaurs!"

Grabbing Honeycutt, she hid with her two oldest brothers behind a bar.

"What are those?"

"Triceratons. They're the sworn enemy of the Federation."

Nodding, Cat noticed one above her.

"Night-night, big boy!"

With a sharp uppercut, he flew back.

"Well, that takes care of that. It wasn't so hard."

With a quick smile and back-flipping over the bar, she jumped at a Triceraton.

With a quick kick, he flew back, and she turned to Don.

"Hurry up, bro! We need a way out of here!"

Don, after a few moments, jumped onto the table.

"All aboard the turtle express!"

Grabbing Mikey, Cat jumped up, looking around.

"Leo! Professor!"

But the two were separated, Honeycutt grabbed by a Triceraton.

"HEY!!"

Jumping down to help him, a few Triceratons grabbed her by her arms.

"LET ME GO!!" She yelled, her legs lashing out.

"A hostage will be useful."

"I'm gonna kick your tails SO HARD-!!"

As she was thrown from hand to hand with Honeycutt, she lashed out.

Scratching, punching, kicking, slapping, biting…

"KITTEN!!"

'If I could just get my footing…' She thought as she twisted, trying to get free, when she was thrown into an even larger Triceraton's arms with Honeycutt.

Seeing her red-banded brother heading for her, she felt panic in her chest.

"Raph, no! Follow the others!"

"But, Kitten-!"

"GO!!"

Feeling her heart try to explode in her chest from them flying off on a TABLE, her and Honeycutt were thrown unceremoniously into a strange hover car.

"OW!! Why I outta-!!"

They flew into the air, and she saw her family behind them.

"RAPH!!"

"KITTEN!!"

As they flew through the air, one Triceraton hog-tied her.

"…You guys are SO gonna get it…Best part is, you're never gonna see it coming…"

Cat smirked.

"Revenge is a dish best served cold, they always say…"

She saw her brothers following them, and smiled.

"HURRY UP, GUYS!!" She called back, seeing the three Triceraton's behind them.

She was pulled onto her behind, and her flailing leg dented the back seat of the vehicle badly.

"Well, well! Looks like we've got a strong one!"

When the turtles were lost behind them, she smacked her head against the headrest.

'Oh come ON!'

When they landed, they were ambushed by Federation troops, and they were being dragged towards a ship.

Though she still struggled, she was tired from all that had happened that day, and was dragged inside.

With a defiant kick, she skidded across the floor on her shell.

She heard the door shut, and laser blasts echoed for a while before the Triceratons fled and the door opened and closed with a bang.

"Kitten!"

She looked up at Raph, and struggled against her ropes.

"Some help would be nice!"

As Raph cut her free, Leo looked around uncertainly.

"Why would a bunker have a cargo bay?"

"Maybe it's not a bunker…" Don stated.

The whole place shook, and they all flew up to hit the ceiling.

When the force ceased, and they floated around in the air.

Something creaked, and Cat looked up.

"…Guys…"

It opened, showing a jagged slash, and stuff flew through into space.

A large box got caught there, stopping the air from escaping, but they had nearly run out.

Nearly coughing on lack of oxygen, Cat clung onto Raph like a lifeline.

Feeling her mind start to darken, she tightened her grip.

'What now? How are we supposed to get out of this?'

She looked at the door, and determination flashed in her eyes.

'I'll do it…somehow…I need to protect my brothers, after all…'


	24. Chapter 24

With a shallow breath, Cat was happy she'd learned this meditation so well

With a shallow breath, Cat was happy she'd learned this meditation so well.

With her body no longer in need of so much air, her mind cleared.

'Okay, this helps…'

Hearing a door hiss open, she relaxed.

'Air! Sweet, sweet air! I'll never take you for granted again!'

Opening her eyes slightly in order to see the Triceratons, she nearly rolled her eyes when one tried to hear her pulse through her wrist.

"Let go of me before you get a black eye…"

When the alien moved back in surprise, she couldn't help a smirk.

"How? There's no atmosphere in here!"

Cat merely uncurled herself as Don explained, prepared to breathe in, when a thick, choking gas forced its way down her throat instead.

Choking, she fell back on her shell, feeling her lungs constrict.

'Not oxygen…Sulphur…'

As her brothers gasped for real air as well, Cat sat up, with some difficulty, gripping onto a beam.

'Damn aliens and their own mix of 'air'…'

"Get me five atmosphere converters." She heard the 'leader' order, and straightened.

'What are they going to do with us?'

After getting a strange tube forced in her mouth, she forcefully bit the offending aliens hand as precious oxygen filled her lungs.

Being lugged to her feet by an angry Triceraton, she glared defiantly as another called their leader.

"Kitty, what are we gonna do?"

Looking up, Cat noticed the questioning look was on all of their faces.

'Guess I have to think of something…Just like when we were kids…'

"We stick it out until we can make an escape plan."

'If only it were that simple…'

She smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry, we'll make it. I promise."

Mikey trusted her completely, feeling everything would be fine with Cat working on it.

"I hope you can…" Leo whispered, wishing he could trust her like Mikey obviously did.

She'd saved his shell before, even when she didn't realize it…

If anything, she was a role model, even if she'd become sarcastic and temperamental.

The old her was in there somewhere, and that was a comfort.

They were soon dragged into a building, strange blue markings put on their upper arms and wrists.

With the press of a button, the gauntlets glowed, forcing their wrists together.

Cat fought it though, and pulled at the force with all her strength.

She felt it stall, like a motor stopping abruptly for a rest as it was pushed to its limit, and smirked.

'I might just break it!'

One slightly panicking Triceraton hit her shell roughly, making her fall to the floor.

Using her bound hands to get to her knees, catching her breath.

"…OW…"

When one grabbed her arm, a sharp growl made him shoot back like she'd bitten him.

"I can get up by myself…"

Standing up, she held her head up and walked into the prison cell with an air of dignity.

When they shocked Raph, pushing him in, they were lucky the door closed before she could get through.

"Damn dinosaurs…" She muttered.

"AT LEAST WE'VE EVOLVED BIGGER BRAINS!!" She shouted through the door.

"…I don't think Kitty's happy…" Mikey whispered to his two nearest brothers as Cat help Raph up once the gauntlets stopped holding their wrists together.

"For once, I agree with you…" Don replied as Cat slumped on a seat.

"Kitten, are ya 'kay?"

She smiled slightly.

"Just got the wind knocked out of me for a minute. Nothing major."

'I'm still going to kill them, though…'

Mikey practically jumped onto her lap.

"Tell us a story!"

Rolling her eyes at his childishness, Cat sat up.

"Okay, okay…"

She couldn't help a smile as her brothers moved closer, at least three hiding their eagerness.

They wanted her to take them away from this place, this cell, and set them free in the familiar sewers again.

"I think I have something…"

Flashback:

"KITTY!!"

Waking up with a start, a twelve year old Cat rubbed her eyes.

"Mikey? Donnie?"

Both seemed shaken, and the white-banded turtle sat up to see her other brothers near the door, as if keeping watch.

"What is it?"

"Aliens-!"

"Monsters-!"

"In the sewers-!"

"They're huge-!"

All four of her brothers kept talking at once, and she rolled her sleepy eyes.

"I'll get it…"

Crawling out of bed and pulled on her gear, she felt reassured when Mikey clung to her shell.

"Come on, guys."

Looking out into the dark sewers they weren't allowed to play in, she moved forward tentatively.

"K-Kitty…"

"Everything's okay, Mikey." Cat soothed, still moving.

A large shadow appeared on a sewer wall, and her brothers jumped in fright.

Before they could run off, she grabbed a hold on them.

"Don't be scared, guys. It can't hurt us if we're together."

Once sure they wouldn't run off, Cat released them and headed towards the shadow.

The protective hiss it issued didn't sway her, and the others followed her example of bravery.

Turning the corner, the five turtles found a mother cat and her litter of five kittens.

With a knowing smile, Cat got food for the felines.

"I told you I'd take care of it."

End Flashback:

Raph and Leo looked away in embarrassment.

"I wasn't scared…" Raph muttered.

"I didn't want anyone to get hurt." Leo defended.

Cat just smiled.

"SURE…"

Mikey grinned.

"That was cool, though!"

Don nodded.

"VERY educational…"

Cat pushed Mikey off her lap, smiling as his shell plopped on the floor.

"And it shows why girls are better."

"…Ya forgot yer pills, didn't ya?"

SMACK!!

"OW!!"

"Let's not follow Mikey's lead, Raphie…"

Mikey snickered, and Raph smacked him upside the head.

"OW!!"

The door opened, and they came out to see it was time to eat.

Mikey seemed happy to get something to eat, but pumped into a hunched, heavily muscled pink alien that turned on him in a moment.

When he threatened to raise his fist, a sharp snarl made him freeze as Cat got between them, eyes flaming with hate.

Before she could do anything rash, Leo and Don held her back.

"You're lucky my brothers don't want me to kill anyone…Today…"

Her tone was menacingly calm, and she forcefully pulled herself from her brothers' grip and walked past the alien.

Once in the 'cafeteria', she sees her brothers had met up with a strange alien.

Making a disgusted face as Mikey puked, she backed up.

"…Ew…"

Lunch went on uneventfully, Cat trying to keep away from a sick-looking Mikey, when they were led back to their cell.

"We need to step up our escape plan. I've got spoons." Leo stated, pulling the utensils from his belt.

"I've got a cup."

"Floor wax."

Cat nodded.

"I didn't get anything."

Her three brothers looked at her in surprise, confused by the smirk.

"I didn't need to. I'm a kunoichi, guys. I've got hidden weapons EVERYWHERE."

Reaching under her ankle band, she pulled out a dark handle.

"…A handle? Kitty, you've lost it."

The blade slid out, catching the light. Mikey smiled sheepishly.

"OH…"

Cat rolled her eyes.

"I've got a few senbon, too. Just not enough for the assault I'd like to make…"

She sighed, shrugging, as she replaced her knife.

"So, how's floor wax gonna help us, Donnie?"

"If I'm right about its chemical composition, if I add a little soot…a drop of moisture…"

He did so now, kneeling down.

"You have a crude but effective smoke bomb."

It sparked slightly, smoke going into the air.

Raph turned serious.

"I've been timing the cell block doors. There's a five second delay after they head through."

Leo made a drawing in the dirt.

"Once we get through there, we go through the drainage system and come out in the exercise yard. Once there, we stick to the shadows and scale the outer wall."

"But we'll need a keycard…and a distraction…" Cat noted.

"Finally! Something I'M good at!" Mikey cheered.

"Then it's settled. We go tonight."

Cat watched the Triceraton guards with a faked bored expression, a hint of anger under the surface.

After Don stuck the smoke bomb under the table, Mikey got ready to make a distraction when the large pink alien came up to their table.

"Give me your food, freak."

Even though it was aimed at Raph, Cat felt a spark of anger at the word.

She'd heard it too many times, with too much scorn, and she never wanted to hear it again.

Raph, obviously, wasn't about to be pushed around, and kicked the alien away.

When said alien then grabbed him, smashing his shell into a table, Cat was behind him in a moment.

Eyes masked by shadows, she grabbed the pink alien by the shoulder and tossed him across the room with a single hand.

Raph got up, looking surprised.

"Kitten?"

Her eyes seemed so dark…

Like that weird energy that she'd used against the Shredder was just under the surface, waiting to come out and lash out like a cobra.

"Kitten…"

She turned around to see the alien stand up, looking ready to charge.

Giving him a piercing glare, she clenched her fists.

"I won't lose anyone else…not after I failed you guys once…"

He reached out a hand to touch her shoulder, but she moved just out of reach.

"…Not now…"

"Kitten-."

The alien charged, and the white-banded turtle stood her ground.

'I won't move…not like before…I lost sensei like that…'

Her fist clenched even tighter, and she pulled it back.

'…I can't lose Raph that way…I won't!'

With the timing that she'd trained for, she rushed the alien, her fist connecting.

He flew back, and she immediately slid into a stance as he stood up.

Noting that the guards were watching, she dodged her opponent's large fists.

Her face was blank, though her eyes were aflame, and she gave the alien a vicious uppercut that knocked him out cold.

With a slight smirk, she finally froze.

'Oh my God…D-Did I just do that?'

A shiver raced across her skin.

'The darkness is seeping through…I can feel it…I-I need to stop it…'

Cat hardly felt the shock of electricity that pulsed through her body, but her knees buckled all the same.

"Take her to solitary!"

Struggling against the Triceratons that grabbed her, her mind was still in panic mode.

She was thrown into an empty cell, and glared as the door closed.

Taking a deep breath, she stood up.

'Gotta calm down…maybe some meditation will help…'

Sitting down on the floor in the familiar position, she sunk into the peaceful state of mind.

Soon floating in the dark grey of her mind, she saw the darkness.

It looked like her, except with skin darker than Raph's and eyes a deep blood red.

"You're so weak-minded. Can't even believe you can subdue me."

"Wh-What are you talking about?"

A dark chuckle.

"A great kunoichi is a master of herself, body and soul. I am a part of you, like it or not, and you have not mastered me."

"…What do you want?"

"I'm the part of you that you loathe to see in others. You see a mugging, you wonder how someone could do that. I would."

"I won't let you."

The determination in her eyes made the darker side of her falter.

"Really? Show me. Defeat me and maybe I'll let you have SOME control."

Cat slid into a stance, and rushed.

Her quick blows were blocked, her hard kicks pushed off course, but she wasn't ready to give up.

'I can do this! I KNOW I can!'

Her fist connected with her opponents, and there was an instant rush of energy.

"You can't beat me like this!" Her darker self mocked.

Cat forced all her strength into her fist, making her every cell scream in pain.

Blood red eyes widened as the force made her fly back, and Cat was over her in a moment, the knife hidden under her ankle band was held at the others throat.

The smirk she received was confusing.

"Now who said you couldn't do it?"

"You did."

Her darker self chuckled.

"But I am part of you…"

It started sinking in.

"I told myself I couldn't do it…and I couldn't…But the moment I said I could…"

"You did. Only YOU hold yourself back."

Cat felt herself being pulled from her mind.

"Remember that…"

The words echoed in her ears as she came back to herself, and the door to her cell opened.

Opening her eyes, she smiled at her brothers.

"Hey, guys!"

She flipped up to her feet.

"Do I get a cleaning implement, or am I going empty-handed?"

"…Um…Pretty much…"

Rolling her eyes slightly, Cat walked past them.

"Come on."

Going through the drainage system, they were soon in the exercise field.

That's when an alarm went off, and searchlights began scouring for them.

"I think it's fair to say they've realized we're missing…" Cat whispered to her brothers.

Lights landed on them, and Cat straightened as Triceratons came out.

One pressed the button on a keycard, but Don had already removed the marks on them.

"I say we show them some butt-kicking action."

Drawing their 'weapons', her brothers followed her in the charge.

With a hard punch and a spin kick, some Triceratons flew back, and all five turtles jumped back when lasers blasted at them.

They were meant to stun, and struck the four male turtles first.

Cat, on the other hand, had the fastest reflexes, and dodged the lasers as fast as she could.

One struck her arm, making it go numb, and she winced.

"NOW I'm mad…"

Stomping the ground, a crater formed, shattering the ground.

"I'm not going down without breaking every bone in your bodies!"

Moving faster than she remembered ever going, she rushed in low.

The many lasers were focused on her now, and a lucky one struck her in the chest.

'OW! …Not again…'

Her body refused to move, and she couldn't help a growl.

'Come ON. Come ON!'

A Triceraton stood over her.

"It seems these five will be shipped off to The Games."

A ship landed behind him, and he lifted her up, even though movement was beginning to return.

"So, what exactly are these 'games'?" Mikey asked as the others were lifted up.

"For you off-worlder's, certain doom!"

Cat was thrown to the floor of the ship, along with the others, as it took off.

It landed in less than five minutes, and they were forced to walk out and stand in front of strange doors.

When it opened, a large purple blob, large tentacles flailing as its huge mouth sported sharp teeth, was seen in what looked like an arena.

Their gauntlets turned off as they were pushed in, the door closing, as they looked at the cheering audience.

"You know, I'm REALLY starting to miss the Shredder right now…"

Cat nodded slightly.

"I SO agree with you, Mikey…"


	25. Chapter 25

"SO…Who's up for dinner

"SO…Who's up for dinner?"

Cat dove away from a lashing tentacle.

"Depends. Who's dinner?"

"Probably us, Mikey…"

Cat grabbed a tentacle, using all her strength to toss the monster over her shoulder.

"But there's a good chance it'll be him…"

The roar of the crowd and the 'sport announcer' voices were loud and deafening, and Cat loosened up her arm.

"…Nice throw…"

"Thanks, Donnie."

Leo turned to the rising monster.

"Let's see if we can give this thing some indigestion!"

Trying to land a jump kick, Leo was smacked onto his shell.

"…That's GOTTA hurt…" Cat muttered.

Sharing a knowing look with her brothers, a smile lit up her face.

"Ready?"

In a dash, the five turtles jumped at the creature, getting grabbed by tentacles, though Mikey and Cat were thrown against a wall.

"…Ow…"

Standing up, she helped up her youngest brother.

"Hey! You living slimeball! Put my brothers down!"

Both ran up the monster's back, one hitting it as the older terrapin grabbed a couple tentacles, pulling back harshly.

Raph was released as the large creature reared, though Mikey flew off.

Once Don and Leo had freed themselves, Cat pulled sharply to the right, forcing the monster to fall before jumping off.

"SO…Did we win?"

Cat shrugged, feeling exhaustion begin weighing on her.

"Maybe, Mikey…"

When the creature stood with a screech of anger, Cat smiled sheepishly.

"…We didn't beat it, Mikey…We didn't beat it…"

As they knocked away the attacking tentacles, Cat saw what she called 'Leo's Thinking Face'.

He looked so focused that the tentacles didn't get close to hitting him.

"We've got to run!"

Surprised confusion spread across her face.

"What?! NOW?! You can't be SERIOUS!!"

"Just follow my lead!"

With only the slightest hesitancy, Cat followed her blue-banded brother, pulling Raph behind her.

"On my order, jump!"

They neared a far wall, the monster right behind them.

When they'd reached the wall…

"JUMP!!"

Cat ran up the wall, back-flipping off when the creature crashed into it.

The statue above it fell roughly, crushing the monster.

"…DAMN…THAT'S gonna hurt tomorrow…" Cat stated with a flinch.

"…At least that's not US." Mikey stated with a grin.

"True, true…"

The crowd roared, and Cat smiled.

"Looks like we put on one shell of a show…"

Cracking her neck and giving Raph a loving smile, she quirked an eyeridge at the guards.

"…If it's because of the statue, it was HIS idea!" Mikey stated, pointing at Leo.

Lasers blasted at the ground before them, and Cat jumped back.

"Hey! Watch where your aiming those things!"

A hole opened in the ground behind the five turtles, and Cat stopped.

"Guys-!"

They fell in, and she smacked her forehead.

"Great ninja skills, guys…"

A guard flew down to her, grabbing her arm.

"Hey!"

"Hope you make it a good show, girlie."

Before a sharp retort could escape her, she was thrown in, landing on someone shell-first.

"Kitten…Get off…"

Cat smiled sheepishly, rolling off him.

"Sorry, Raphie…"

Looking around, she sat up in the strange hay.

'Like another prison…'

Stretching on her shell to release the stiffness, she only sat up straighter when a Triceraton came in, brandishing an electric whip.

'…Oh great…An angry fat alien with a whip…'

Standing up to join her brothers, she glared at the demeaning words that left his mouth.

'I'd like to kick HIS butt to the moon and back…'

"Now we just need some dummies for practice. You, turtles! You'll be the dummies!"

"Hey, are you calling me a dummy?"

"Wouldn't be the first time, Mikey." Don joked.

Cat giggled, covering her mouth with her hand, when the crackle of the whip met her ears.

She grabbed hold before it hit Mikey or Don, maybe both.

"…You know, this doesn't really hurt…" She mused, seeing the electricity dance across her light green skin.

"…Th-That's not possible…" Don muttered in awe.

Tossing down the whip, Cat glared at the fat Triceraton.

"Try that again, and I won't warn you a second time…"

The spark of defiance in her eyes seemed to make him dislike her more, but Cat couldn't care less.

"If I do something I know is right, why should I care if people hate me for it?" She'd always say.

Soon, 'practice came, and the 'slaves' were given electric bokken-like weapons, while the turtles couldn't even use their hands.

"…Like you guys can even hit me." Cat mocked playfully, hands behind her shell.

One swung, and she easily side-stepped the weapon, smiling like a child.

"Look!"

She kicked him in the face, knocking him back.

"No hands!"

The Triceraton she'd threatened didn't seem happy about it though, and proposed weapon's training.

"…I wish I had MY weapons…" Cat muttered.

She dodged an ax blade, grinning at the large Triceraton playfully.

"Ha-Ha! Can't touch me!"

He swung in a horizontal arc, and she ducked as Leo got two swords and blocked the blade.

Back-flipping away, she kicked the Triceraton in the chin, sending him flying back.

She jumped onto his chest, and he grimaced, even though she was light.

"Finish me. It's your right as victor."

There was a moment of silence, then she shrugged.

"No thanks. I'm not the kind of person that kills for a game like this…"

Cat got off, and offered a hand to help him up.

"Why didn't you…?"

"Honor and Bushido are more important than such rules, as is my own heart." She answered with a smile.

Helping him to his feet, she turned to see Don get knocked to the floor, and she went to his aid when Raph saved his shell with a naginata.

The electric whip wound around the blade of the weapon, shocking Raph.

"Gladiators don't help each other!"

Cat was beside the alien, and twisted his wrist.

"We look after our own."

With a swift kick, the Triceraton flew into a pile of purple muck.

He pulled himself from the pile, and Cat giggled.

"Hope you like the muck mask." She teased.

"GUARDS!!"

Her glare could cut stone as the guards gathered behind her, wary of her past temper.

"Don't hurt my family again, or I'll do worse than throw you into a pile of muck…"

She turned to follow her brothers.

'I won't let anything hurt them…not if I have anything to say about it…'

"Look! Grool's serving gruel!"

Cat giggled, patting her youngest brother on the head.

"So he is, Mikey…so he is…"

Though the five were at the end of the line for food, Cat didn't really care.

She might've been starving, but she wasn't about to willingly take food from an alien she hated.

Apparently, he 'ran out of food' when the first turtle reached him, which turned out to be Don.

"Well, we'll be fine." Cat stated, pushing her brothers out of the line.

"Fasting kinda makes it impossible to ear anything, you know."

"If that's true, then why get in line in the first place?"

Cat shrugged.

"Thought it would be fun to give you the hope that you could actually hurt me."

Smiling innocently, she followed her brothers.

Raph smirked, discreetly grabbing hold of her hand.

"And I began wonderin' why I loved ya so much…"

Cat smiled brightly as he whispered in her ear.

"Guess I reminded you that I've got spunk…"

"Yep."

With a secret little kiss, the two rejoined their brothers and sat down, Mikey complaining that he was hungry.

Traximus, the Triceraton Cat had decided not to injure further, and other gladiators shared their portions, but Cat only took a bite or two before the thought of fighting entered her head.

'Weaponless against opponents who won't be…Just great…'

Mikey seemed eager for seconds, and Cat rolled her eyes, pushing her plate towards him.

"But, Kitty-."

"I'm not hungry. I'm fasting, remember?"

Rolling her eyes as Mikey jumped on the food like he was starving, Cat settled on her seat more comfortably, leaning slightly on Raph's arm.

Once they were done there, they headed for the arena.

The other gladiators were given weapons, and Cat put her hands on her hips.

"This is when I hate this galaxy the most…"

As the platform went up, Traximus pulled a bundle from his back.

"I still have friends on the inside…"

He unraveled it to show their weapons, and Cat jumped for her blades.

"My blades! My babies! Oh, how I've missed you so!"

The white hilts and silver designs reminded her of her father, and she traced her name on the blades.

'…We'll get back, sensei…and save you…'

Putting the blades into her belt, she smiled at Traximus.

"Thanks. I've missed these things."

"Are they really that important to you?"

She nodded slightly.

"…They're a gift from my father…"

The platform reached the arena, and Cat looked around to see the audience and the 'Prime Leader'.

When it was announced that ALL the other gladiators were going to fight the five of them, Cat smacked her forehead.

Traximus raised his ax, and she tensed, hands on her blades.

When his blade sunk into the ground instead, understanding flashed across her face.

"Traximus…"

He nodded, turning towards the Prime Leader and shouting that they would no longer fight to entertain him.

The guards were getting closer, and Cat turned to him.

"You're protecting us…"

She smiled.

"I'd be proud to call you 'brother'."

The guards blasted, and she was forced to jump back.

The gladiators were forced out, and five Triceratons came in from another entry.

Apparently, they were the best the planet had.

"…Yeah, I'm shaking in my shell…What are they gonna do? Sit on me?"

Mikey grinned, a laugh escaping him as he high-threed his older sister.

"You go, girl!"

Pulling out their weapons, they met their opponents head-on.

Cat ducked under a heavy thirty pound weight of a Meteor Hammer, and jumped out of range.

"Scared, girlie?"

Anger flared in her eyes.

"Excuse me? You did NOT just say that to me!"

He smirked.

"What? Scared I'll hurt you?"

"You'd better be scared that I'll hurt YOU!"

The weight flew at her, and she grabbed hold with both hands, much to the Triceraton's surprise.

"Round we go!"

Using her hold, Cat started twirling on her heels, sending him flying in the air thanks to his connection with his weapon.

"Guys! DUCK!"

Mikey looked around.

"Duck? Where?"

As he looked around for the bird, he saw the Triceraton flying towards him.

"AHH!! DUCK!!"

The four turtles jumped to the ground, and the Triceraton flying through the air smacked into his comrades, knocking them out.

As she gained momentum, Cat flung him through the air.

When he hit the wall, Cat flinched slightly, an innocent look on her face.

"Oopsy daisy! Did I let go?"

She turned to her brothers, who glared at her lightly.

"What? He called me girlie!"

She pouted.

"And I told you guys to duck…"

"A little more warning would've been nice…" Leo stated, standing up.

"It's not MY fault you guys have slow reflexes. When I tell you to duck, you duck, NOT look for water fowl."

She glared lightly at Mikey as she said the last little part.

Mikey smiled sheepishly.

"It was the first thing that came to mind?"

"…I can't believe we're related…"

Cat rolled her eyes, turning amused violet eyes to the Prime Leader, seeing Honeycutt beside him.

When he gave a thumbs-down, she guessed that meant something bad.

The chant "Let them live! Let them live!" from the audience only confirmed it.

Strange pods, cameras on the front, hovered around them.

"I don't think they're going to let us live." Leo noted.

"I say we don't give 'em the choice." Raph remarked.

A camera pod came closer, and Don turned to his youngest brother.

"Ready for some sling-shot action?"

"Yep!"

Don jumped up, removing the Triceraton from the 'vehicle', and zoomed down.

Jumping on, they held on as tight as they could as the guards shot at them, making their temporary transportation explode against a column, though they jumped down, surrounding the Prime Leader.

Pulling out her blades as the guards came closer, her reflex was to put a blade at the strangely smaller Triceraton.

"Put your weapons down before I decide to make you look for a new leader!" She threatened, her blade pressing dangerously on his jugular.

Guards surrounded them, and Mikey moved closer to his sister.

"I hope they REALLY like their leader. I mean, REALLY like him!"


	26. Chapter 26

"Trust me, after all I've been through, I'm a loose cannon

"Trust me, after all I've been through, I'm a loose cannon."

Cat's tone was dark, but only her brothers could hear that it was forced, mostly fake.

She never had the heart to intentionally kill anyone…

Raph joined her.

"Do…Do as they say…" The Prime Leader forced out, metal at his throat.

The nearest guards dropped their blasters, which Leo, Don, and Mikey picked up.

Cat winced slightly as the announcers voices got louder.

"So what do we do now, Fearless Leader?" Raph asked as he was handed a blaster.

"I don't know. I can't think with all that racket they're making!"

They turned to the strange glass screens hanging in the air.

With a blast, Raph made it blow, and turned to his blue-banded brother with a smirk.

"Does that help?"

"Actually, yes."

Leo turned serious.

"Okay, this is what we'll do."

Cat smiled mischievously.

"We go to Honeycutt's lab and take dino-boy here with us."

"…You're good…"

"It's the gift of being a sister, I suppose."

Cat's blades pointed at the guards.

"Move a muscle, and you'll wish I couldn't break every bone in your body…"

Moving down the hallways slowly, Cat growled as the guards followed them.

"Let me hit them, Leo…They won't get up again…"

"Be patient."

'I am…They're just wearing it thin…'

Once they'd turned the corner, lasers hit the walls.

Raph glared at the Prime Leader.

"Tell them to stop shootin'! Now!"

Shoving him around the corner, the Prime Leader looked slightly panicked.

"Hold your fire! And pull back!"

Raph pulled him back around the corner as the laserfire stopped.

"Which way do we go now?" Leo questioned Honeycutt.

"This place is like a maze, really. There's so many roots…"

Raph turned to the Triceraton.

"Show us the fastest way, Spike. Or else."

The blaster showed what the 'or else' meant.

"As you wish."

Cat REALLY didn't trust that tone, and glared.

Opening a hole in the wall, they were sucked in and slid down to the lab, landing in a pile.

"…I'm SO gonna kill him!! Where is he!?"

Leo held her back as the others stood up.

"Cat, calm down."

She took a few deep breathes.

"I'm good. I'm okay. I won't kill anyone. Turtle's Honor."

Leo released her, and she stood up calmly.

"…Never said I wouldn't maim anyone…"

"CAT!"

"I'm kidding! Jeez, loosen up!"

She put her hands up in a defensive manner, a sheepish smile on her face.

Leo sighed, turning to Mikey and Don.

"Mikey, you help me weld the exits shut. Don, you get whatever you and the Professor will need to build the Teleportal."

He turned to Raph and Cat.

"You two are on guard duty."

"Wasn't I already?" Cat asked playfully, drumming on the handles of her blades.

As everyone else ran around, Honeycutt moved over to Leo.

"Excuse me, Leonardo. You don't intend for me to build the Teleportal, do you?"

"It may be the only way to solve the problem."

"But if I'm captured, the knowledge will surely fall into the wrong hands!"

"You can use it to transport yourself and the device somewhere that the Federation and Triceraton's can't follow." Cat answered.

"Like…Earth…"

"If you don't build the Teleportal, we'll never get home and save Master Splinter." Don added.

"Yes, by all means. Help your friends. Build the Teleportal."

Cat growled at the Prime Leader.

"Don't even start!"

"The danger will always exist, whether or not you build the Teleportal." Leo continued, welding busily.

"What's to stop them from ripping apart your robot body and downloading it from your brain?" Don asked.

The Prime Leader smacked his forehead.

"Why didn't I think of that?"

"…'CAUSE…You're stupid…" Cat retorted.

"Good one, Don!" Mikey stated.

"Sorry…"

"I see…So it seems the only way…"

Honeycutt took Raph's blaster.

"Is to turn me into scrap metal right now."

As he aimed it at his head, the turtles panicked.

Leo moved forward.

"Please. You're our only hope."

After a moment, Honeycutt sighed.

"Alright…"

He handed the blaster to Cat.

"But you must promise me one thing…If something goes wrong, when it looks like we're going to be captured, you must destroy me so that my knowledge will never be used for evil and destruction."

"It won't come to that." Cat replied stubbornly.

"If it DOES come to that, do you swear on your honor to destroy me?"

The turtle's shared a glance, Cat breaking it early to warily watch the Prime Leader move.

"…We swear." They replied in unison.

Cat turned to the Triceraton.

"We need a fast ship, and now. I bet you know one."

"Now let me think…"

Cat thought she heard a 'click', but jotted it down as paranoia.

"You five turtles and Professor Honeycutt will have to make your escape in my personal cruiser, it's in my private space dock hanger."

The tone he used was confusing, and Cat felt warily suspicious.

They found a floating platform, and got on, three turtles on the defense, blasters at the ready.

"My cruiser is in the next bay."

Cat looked around, tensing.

'Life forces…'

"It's a trap!"

Her and Leo jumped down, blocking the laser blasts, and attacking the Triceratons up close.

Mikey and Don blasted the ceiling, making some of it crumble on the guards.

The platform was ready to go into the cruiser, and Cat nodded to Leo, running down the small walkway.

"Tell 'em ta stand down! Now!" Raph ordered.

"Stand down! I order you to-!"

The Prime Leader was cut off when a blast hit the side of the platform and he fell off.

Cat jumped up quickly, and a stray shot grazed her arm.

Hissing in pain, the platform went down into the cruiser.

Placing a hand over the burn, she stood up and followed her brothers into the main room.

Honeycutt sat in a chair, hacking in.

"Is it fortuitous that my robot body comes equipped with a piloting program?"

"Yeah, that's just great…Just drive!!"

As they flew out of the hanger, three Triceratons followed them, and Cat grabbed onto Raph to steady herself.

Some fancy flying got rid of them, and Cat smiled.

"Great…Can we go home now? I think I'm gonna hurl…"

Everything seemed fine…

Until they saw the entire Triceraton army…

"…Aw shell…"

They got a warning from 'General Mozar', but Leo didn't like their choices.

Using the throttle, he made them speed towards the whole army.

"LEO!! ARE YOU CRAZY!?"

They got blasted at, and Raph and Mikey went to use the guns.

"Awww…I wanted to shoot them!"

Trying to loose the Triceraton's in an asteroid field, Cat looked out the glass, eyes narrowed.

'Something's gonna happen…'

They were soon out of the asteroid field, and Cat relaxed.

"Well, it seems the difficult part is over." Honeycutt stated.

A rift seemed to open before them, letting in Federation ships.

"…And the serious butt-whooping is about to begin…" Cat stated, cracking her knuckles.

As they flew around, dodging lasers, Cat nearly fell over.

"We need seatbelts in this thing! Don't Triceratons know about safety?"

With some expert maneuvering, they made the Federation and Triceraton fleets meet halfway.

"We can't avoid them forever!" Don stated.

"We don't need forever. Just long enough so that you and Professor Honeycutt can build that Teleportal."

"That planetoid should make an ideal spot to construct the Teleportal device." Honeycutt stated, pointing it out.

After landing safely, they put on atmosphere suits so they could work outside the ship.

The suits were baggy, with long tails, but the press of a button made them snug and comfortable.

"Unfortunately, there's only three."

Cat giggled at Mikey's baggy suit, patting his helmet.

"It's okay. You'll just trip a lot."

"Hardy-Har-Har. I almost forgot to laugh…"

As Raph, Don, and Honeycutt worked outside, Mikey got some massive energy signatures on the scanners in the cruiser with Leo and Cat.

"Great…Everyone wants a piece of us…" Cat muttered.

"We need more time. Stall them." Don stated over the connection.

Leo sat in the large chair, Cat sitting on the steps, as a call was made to the leader of the Federation and the Triceraton general.

"I am Leonardo of the planet Earth, and I demand an immediate cease-fire."

"I second that order." Cat piped in.

"And why should we agree to your demand, earthling?" The Triceraton questioned.

"Because, if you blow us up, you'll blow up Professor Honeycutt with us, and nobody gets the Teleportal. However, we'll give up the Fugitoid. For a price."

Cat smiled slyly.

'Well, isn't Leo the little trickster?'

Mikey turned them.

"We will?"

Cat shushed him.

"But first, we'll need to make a truce between the Federation and the Triceratons. We want assurances that neither side will use the Teleportal device for destructive purposes."

"Agreed." The two said in unison.

Surprise crossed their faces.

"Wait, don't you guys want to argue about it some more?" Mikey asked, slightly panicked.

"The Triceraton Republic is eager to resolve this matter peacefully."

"The Federation is equally eager to stop unnecessary conflict."

Cat saw the sly dishonesty in their eyes, and her eyes narrowed.

'Liars. Both of them.'

"Now bring us the Fugitoid." The two said in unison again.

"…Okay, but first…We'll need to finalize our agreement…In writing, of course. That is, once we find a neutral meeting place mutually acceptable to both sides."

"Naturally, the Federation will need assurances of non-aggression from the Triceratons."

"We Triceratons have always honored our treaties. It is the Federation that needs to make assurances of non-aggression."

"Are you accusing us of treachery, lizard?"

"You Federation slime didn't force 150 planets under your rule by acting HONORABLY."

"Well, maybe if you Triceraton buffoons hadn't managed to blow up your own homeworld, you wouldn't be living on a bunch of floating rock fragments!"

As they fought, Cat sat back to enjoy it.

"This is better than Jerry Springer…"

Some ships came, blasting at the others outside, and Cat felt panic make her heart flutter like a caged bird.

'RAPHIE!!'

As Leo and Mikey blasted at the ships, Cat stood up, unsure of what to do.

'What would Master Splinter say?'

But they were running outside, suits ready and blasters in hand, to see if the Teleportal was ready.

Don said it was, and Cat smiled.

"Let's go!"

"But it hasn't been tested yet!" Honeycutt objected.

Lasers threatened to hit them.

"No time like the present!" Raph remarked, and Cat threw him her blaster.

As everyone went inside, he blasted at the enemies that came close, as did Mikey.

"Pull your shells in here!" Cat ordered, grabbing both brothers and pulling them in as the door shut.

The machine started up, but it seemed to sputter, as if losing energy.

Coming out, they blasted.

"Get to the ship!" Leo ordered.

Unfortunately, the Triceratons BLEW UP their ship…

"…Oh, great! Just great!" Cat whined as they ran inside.

"What now?!" She asked, in near panic.

The glass shattered from the lasers, and they ducked.

Honeycutt wanted them to wipe his memory, handing a strange device to Leo, but he couldn't.

Before Leo could press the button, a strange beam of blue light hit them, blinding them…

As she felt herself being taken apart, a single thought raced through her head…

'Where are we going now?'


	27. Chapter 27

When they rematerialized on their butts, Cat's mind was still a bit fuzzy, but she took off her helmet anyway

When they rematerialized on their butts, Cat's mind was still a bit fuzzy, but she took off her helmet anyway.

"…We're back at the TCRI building…great…"

Standing up, with some help from Raph, she looked around again.

"We're home!! YAHOO!! We made it!!" Mikey cheered, kissing the floor…or…whatever they were standing on…

Thing is, as Mikey did that, Triceratons and Federation troops materialized behind them.

"…Aw shell…"

Drawing her blades, she was ready to attack when a voice called for them to stop.

"Remain stationary. Stay calm. We will return you to your native continuity."

A laser cut the man off.

"What is this madness? Where are the rest of our warriors?" One angry Triceraton questioned.

He spotted Honeycutt.

"The Fugitoid! Seize it!"

As the two sides opened fire on each other, Cat jumped back.

"A welcome home party! You shouldn't have!" Mikey stated sarcastically.

A laser came by, shooting off the tip of the tail on his suit.

"No, I mean it! You shouldn't have!"

Cat pulled him out of firing range.

"Learn to dodge lasers!"

"You CAN'T dodge lasers!"

"Sorry, but I've already proved you wrong, bro!"

Cat pulled him down as she side-stepped a laser.

"…You dodged a laser? …You are officially THE coolest sister in the UNIVERSE!"

"Why, thank you! Now DUCK!"

Pushing him on his shell, the laser nearly grazed her plastron.

"…I would've ducked…"

"Sorry, but after last time, I wasn't taking any chances…"

"…ONE time! ONE!"

"It only takes one, bro…"

With a smile, Cat turned to see one of those pink squid-like aliens freeze the Triceratons and Federation troops with a strange laser.

Raph seemed ready to strike, but Cat grabbed hold of his arm when a voice cut through the air.

"My children, stop!"

Turning, they saw two 'Guardians' come out of a dark hallway, followed by…

"Master Splinter!!"

"They are not our enemy."

Cat felt tears in her eyes.

"SENSEI!!"

In a moment, she was there, hugging him as hard as she dared, her brothers coming up behind her.

"My daughter, what is wrong?"

"…I-I missed you so much, sensei…there were so many times that I needed you…"

"I'm here now, my child…"

Nodding slightly, she pulled back, holding back her tears as her brothers took their turn hugging their elderly father.

"Please! My spine!"

Pulling back as Cat giggled, the four brothers followed their father's gaze.

"I'd like you all to meet some friends. I believe you have met the Guardians. It was they who found me after the battle with the Shredder, and brought me here, to these benevolent beings who saved my life."

The man from before stepped into view.

"This is my good friend, Mr. Mortu."

He turned to address the man.

"Mr. Mortu, these are my children."

Cat smiled sheepishly, bowing to hide it.

"Thank you, for saving our sensei."

Leo turned to Splinter.

"But, who are they? What are they?"

"They call themselves Utroms, and their story is inextricably interwoven with our own."

'…Really? We're connected to advanced aliens? …Sweet…'

"The ooze that mutated us all was a byproduct of their experiments with this Transmat device."

"So the chemical make-up of the ooze is caused by the inter-dimensional shift of non-essential sub-atomic particles." Don stated.

"…How do you KNOW these things?" Cat asked, dumb-struck.

"But where did we get transported? How did we get back here? What-? OW!!"

Mikey turned to Raph, who had smacked his head.

"All will be explained. First, there's some business to take care of." Mortu stated, turning to the Utroms.

"Beam these intruders back to their original coordinates."

Cat felt something forboding fill her stomach as Leo introduced Honeycutt.

'Something BAD just happened…or something bad WILL happen…'

As Honeycutt explained his being trapped in a robot body, Cat kinda tuned out the already-known story.

As Honeycutt explained everything, Cat rolled her eyes and stripped off the atmosphere suit, and was soon sitting with her brothers on the floor, lightly dozing on Raph's shoulder.

Cat jumped awake at her sensei's voice.

"It seems my children have gotten into their usual amount of trouble in the eight hours they've been gone."

"…Eight HOURS! I thought it was three weeks!" Cat exclaimed.

"Perhaps I can explain." Mortu interjected.

"The astringencies of inter-dimensional travel affect not only the basic laws of three dimensional space, but the fluidity of temporal mechanics as well."

"…That is so cool!"

Cat turned to her purple-banded brother.

"Yeah, that's swell and all…You know what would make it cooler? If I actually understood more than half of what he just said!"

"My friends, let there be no more secrets between us." Mortu stated, opening his shirt to reveal an Utrom.

"AH!!"

Caught by surprise, Cat jumped, landing in her red-banded brothers lap.

"…Don't DO that! You scared me half to death!"

"Follow me. We shall begin at the beginning."

The Utroms voice seemed strange, like it was vibrating, as the robot body started walking.

"…Kitten, ya can get off now…"

Cat pouted.

"Oh, alright…"

Standing up and following the Utrom, Cat smiled back at her brothers.

"Hurry up, slowpokes!"

They were lead into a room with a hexagonal door that slid open, and the inside made the wires and tubes look like veins or eggs.

"…I've seen this movie…We're…uh…Not gonna have anything burst out of our chests, are we?"

SMACK!!

"OW!! Kitty!!"

"This is the oracle pod chamber, where our race assumes its highest state of communion. Where many minds enter into oneness by sharing life experience." The Utrom stated.

"Inside these pods, you will be able to share the story of our lives."

"…You know, I can't think of one science fiction movie where a 'pod' is a good thing!"

SMACK!!

"OW!! Kitty, stop DOING that!!"

"Then stop being such a scaredy turtle!"

"All will be explained. Enter the pods."

Something in front of the pods moved away, and Cat unconsciously grabbed Raph's hand behind her shell.

"Come on, babe."

"…Okay…You first…"

Rolling his eyes, Raph headed into a pod, and Cat followed hesitantly.

Once she got in, something closed over her hands and the strange glass came back.

A weird little head device strapped itself onto her head snugly.

'…OKAY…'

"Prepare yourselves to become one, with the sacred memories of the Utroms." She heard Mortu say.

'…Is it too late to get out of here?'

When she appeared in a strange world with strange gold wind whirling around her and her family, she sweat dropped.

'…Guess so…'

"Amazing! Technically, this is only happening in our minds, and we're all sharing the experience simultaneously!"

"…Donnie, is there anything you DON'T know?"

Soon, the swirling gold and silver disappeared, depositing them in a strange alien ship operated by Utroms.

Mikey tried to catch their attention, but it was like they couldn't hear him…

"…I wish I was as lucky as they are…"

"HEY!"

Don explained that they weren't actually THERE, it was like they were watching a movie in their heads, when they were suddenly back in the swirling nothingness.

"What's going on?!"

"If this is like a movie, maybe we're cutting ahead to the next scene!" Mikey stated.

They were deposited somewhere else on the ship.

"These security precautions are pitiful! You will never hold me!" A strange Utrom stated from inside a weird liquid-filled bubble.

"We have finally reclaimed you after a hundred-year search. We're not about to lose the most ruthless criminal the universe has ever known." Mortu stated, phasing through them.

"…Okay, that still feels weird…"

The other Utrom laughed.

"I will escape, and you will all perish! That is my promise!"

"Big talk, little slimeball." Raph stated.

"Big talk, little slimeball." Mortu said almost instantly after.

"…Whoa…"

"Hey, I like the way this Mortu guy thinks…"

Cat rolled her eyes.

As Mikey made fun of the entrapped Utrom, not stopping even for Master Splinter, they were once again in the 'fast-forward' mode, as Cat secretly dubbed it.

They were deposited back where they'd been before, only now the ship was near Earth.

"Captain, the prisoner has escaped!"

"Security, report!"

"The prisoner is attacking! We're-!"

The voice was cut off by a scream and the beeping of the ship before it seemed to…shut down…

"I hope they're okay…" Cat muttered.

"Yeah…I'm beginnin' ta like these guys…"

"Whatever happens, its history now…"

"…I know, Leo…"

They were soon in the same swirling void, and were deposited in the beeping engine room.

Mortu and the other two Utroms entered, wary of the prisoner, when a spark caught everyone's attention.

"See. I always keep my promises!"

A spark from the wires in his tentacles made the ship start to head downhill…straight towards Earth…

As the ship began to spin into the atmosphere and caught on fire, Mikey started panicking.

"It's only a movie-It's only a movie-It's only a-WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!"

He jumped into Cat's arms like Scooby-Doo did with Shaggy, and the white-banded turtle rolled her eyes before dropping him.

The ship started speeding over the ocean, and Cat grabbed Raph's hand more for reassurance that he was there than to make sure this was only a memory.

The ship crashed into the shore, knocking the six over, but they phased through the wreckage.

"…OKAY…Didn't think I'd fall over by watching a MOVIE…"

"I can't believe we're in one piece!"

"Mikey, this is an ILLUSION." Don explained.

"…Tell that to my stomach…"

Cat wrinkled her beak as he puked, and stepped away from him.

"EW…Mikey barf!"

Once the Utroms were out of the wreckage, Mortu stated that they were stuck on 'This primitive planet', and were light-years from their home world.

It seemed the ship was so badly damaged that they couldn't salvage it and return home.

An Utrom scout came back to say there was a structure beyond the next rise, and they headed for it.

The building they saw was Japanese, and seemed more like a mansion than a house.

"They landed in Feudal Japan…" Cat muttered, seeing what looked like a samurai in the distance.

"I've got one word: Wow."

"I agree with you on THAT one, Raphie…"

"Hey, guys! Look! I'm in a samurai movie!"

As Mikey play-fought with the training samurai, Cat smacked her forehead.

"Michelangelo! Show some respect."

"…He's not related to me…I don't know who he is…Why am I even here?"

Raph snickered.

"Good one…"

"Well, I'm definitely gonna respect his breakfast!"

But as Mikey tried to eat the riceballs that his hands phased through, Cat rolled her eyes.

"That's Mikey, for you…"

Back at the crash sight, where a bonfire now was, one Utrom said that the technology on Earth was too primitive to make anything to get them home.

"Not yet. But we can wait."

"Okay, reality check. How long can these guys live? They're gonna wait CENTURIES before they can build a way home?"

"…That's a LONG time…I wouldn't wait THAT long to go home…" Cat stated, shaking her head slightly.

After heading out and hiding from humans, the Utroms got the idea to make exo-suits from salvaged pieces of their technology.

They didn't walk around too well with it at first, and Cat nearly laughed at the way it looked, but kept it in.

If there was one thing she DIDN'T need, it was Splinter's walking stick hitting her head.

As the Utrom took it out for what seemed to be a successful test run, he tripped a wire, and a log slammed into the robot, sending it and its passenger flying.

It turned out that the criminal Utrom was the culprit, and said alien proceeded to steal the exo-suit.

The poor Utrom that was knocked out was thrown into the bushes, and Cat couldn't suppress a growl of indignation.

"If I could reach him, he'd wish he'd died in that crash…"

"I'll be right there with ya, sis…"

Her brothers, hyped with what Cat called 'testosterone', attacked, phasing through.

"Yeah, guys…that REALLY helped…"

Time passed, and the Utroms were making more advanced exo-suits.

The Utroms, working on something, were attacked by ninja, who were led by…

"The Shredder?! Man, how long does HE live?!"

As the ninja and Utroms fought, making Cat think of a strange mix between a samurai movie and one of Mikey's sci fi movie, the Shredder attacked Mortu viciously, even as the latter tried to reason with his opponent.

"This can't be OUR Shredder! This is two hundred years in the past! This must be Shredder's ancestor or something!"

Cat turned to Don.

"Evil is not genetic! It is taught!"

"…There's no scientific proof to say otherwise, so I won't argue with you…"

"Good."

Turning around, she saw Mikey walking towards him.

"Don't get too close, Mikey." Leo warned.

"Don't worry, bro. After all, it's only a movie."

Phasing through the Shredder's chest, Mikey grinned.

"Hey, ugly!"

Making a weird face, Cat rolled her eyes.

'If only I could do that…'

Suddenly, Cat almost felt the ground beneath her feet, and noticed her blades were gone.

"HEY!"

When Mikey cried out as he was hit away by the Shredder, Cat jumped to his defense.

"Leave my little brother alone!"

Grabbing a fallen tree, she swung it like a bat as the rest of her family ran to his aid.

She flung it before following them, soon kneeling by his side.

"Mikey, are you okay?"

They were surrounded by ninja, and Cat pulled back a fist, ready to strike.

"Looks like this isn't a virtual reality anymore…"


	28. Chapter 28

The ninja circled them, and Cat crouched down, like a tiger waiting to pounce, and felt anger sweep through her veins

The ninja circled them, and Cat crouched down, like a tiger waiting to pounce, and felt anger sweep through her veins.

'They hurt Mikey! Of all of them, they hurt Mikey!'

She caught the Bo staff that was swung at her, using it to smack the ninja in the chest before kicking the ninja behind her in the face.

Nearly on all fours, she glared at the ninja before pouncing like an animal on its prey, wrestling with two on the floor before hitting the pressure points in their necks.

Cat looked up to see bamboo fall on Don's head, and nearly laughed.

"Nice one, bro!"

"My children, it's time to become shadows!"

Leo nodded.

"Raph, get Mikey and head into the bamboo! You too, Cat! Donnie, you're with me!"

Cat nodded once, following her red-banded brother through the bamboo.

Grabbing his hand, she silently followed him over the plant roots, careful not to make a sound.

She was a mistress of stealth, for it was one of her first lessons as a kunoichi.

It gave her the element of surprise, so she needed to be able to blend into any environment she found herself in.

Resting near a river, Don and Splinter had caught up with them, and were watching over a still-unconscious Mikey.

When Leo came back, his first thought was to ask about his orange-banded brother.

"We must be careful. Michelangelo is not well. And I believe, in this dreamworld, if we believe we die, we've truly died." Splinter explained.

"Being careful won't be easy. That guy that looks like the Shredder just invented the Sword of Tengu!"

"…Well DAMN…"

"…This is not good…" Splinter agreed.

When Mikey woke up, his first groggy words were, "Master Splinter…Is it time to eat?"

He still seemed exhausted, but Cat let a smile cross her face.

'He's okay…'

A female scream and the clang of metal made Cat turn around, in a stance already out of habit.

"Go investigate. I will stay and look after your brother." Splinter ordered.

Bowing, the four headed out to see what was going on.

Looking through the bamboo and down the road, they saw a cart, an old man with a little boy and a girl surrounded by ninja.

The girl was a good fighter, and Cat smiled.

"See? Girls ROCK!"

Getting ready to pounce, she was surprised when two men jumped down and helped her out.

"…COOL…"

Too bad more Foot ninja came…

"I say we help them out!"

With a jump, Cat kicked one Foot ninja clear across the road.

"Ha! How'd THAT feel, you second-rate ninja wanna-be!"

She saw Leo stop a chain heading for the girl, flinging the ninja to the ground, and spin-kicked another Foot ninja in the face.

When the Foot ninja were defeated, Cat grinned.

"We rock, even in Feudal Japan!"

But it seemed they weren't going to get a thank you…

The family left, and the two men advanced on them.

"Look, we were only trying to help." Leo reasoned.

"We don't want to fight you."

"Even though I love fightin', what I DON'T like is being stuck in this Utrom video game!"

Cat grabbed Raph's wrist.

"Raphie."

Apparently, the two were Guardians, and were surprised the 'kapa' knew of the Utroms.

After some talking, the Guardians agreed to tell the Utroms that they needed to see them, and left.

"If our master's request an audience, they will find you."

'…Well SORRY that the Foot are after us…' Cat thought bitterly.

Running back to Master Splinter and Mikey, Cat slowed down when she saw the two enjoying sushi.

"How could you eat-!?"

She plopped down beside him with a playful punch.

"Without me!? You KNOW I love sushi!!"

Grabbing a piece, she popped it into her mouth.

"You know, none of this food is real." Don explained.

"…If my stomachs happy, I have no complaints…" Cat replied.

"Yeah! It's real enough for me!" Mikey added, popping another piece in his mouth.

"That is it! That's the secret!"

Cat looked confused.

"What is it-?"

That's when the Guardians came, followed by an exo-suit that held Mortu.

Bowing, Cat nearly jumped on the balls of her feet.

"Mr. Mortu, you're just the…man we need to see." Leo stated.

So they explained what had happened, and Mortu seemed fascinated.

"You know much of our ways, but your knowledge of the Shredder is incomplete. You must know that the Shredder is one of-."

He was cut off by the sound of laughter, and Foot ninja appeared, as well as the Shredder, who held the Sword of Tengu.

The swords powers short-circuited the exo-suit, causing it to explode, and Shredder blasted the two Guardians away.

He then proceeded to blast Leo, Don, and Splinter away, and Cat got ready to attack.

He blasted everyone pretty bad, but Cat jumped to defend Mortu.

"Back off!" She snarled.

The electricity seemed to rush through her veins like her very blood, hardly hurting, but the intensity soon drew out a small cry off pain after a while, causing her to fall to her knees.

Looking up at Shredder, she still had a perpetual glare on her face.

As the sword was raised, ready to strike her down, she refused to close her eyes.

'I won't show weakness…I'll die with honor…'

But the sword disappeared from his grip, and reappeared in Leo's.

He blasted the Shredder away, and Cat stood up on shaky legs.

Shredder flew through bamboo, falling over the edge of a cliff and into the ocean, and Cat put an innocent look on her face.

"Did I forget to catch him? SORRY…"

The ninja scattered, and Leo somehow made the sword disappear.

"…COOL…"

A Guardian handed them a strange black cube, saying it should sent them safely back, but it confused Mikey to no end.

He explained that the pods should have a fail-safe mechanism that they now held which should help, and they nodded.

"Thanks for the help." Cat stated.

"See ya in a few hundred years." Raph added.

Leo pressed the cube, and a gold light came from it.

"Wait! What was it you were trying to tell us about the Shredder before?" Leo shouted.

"The Shredder is-!"

He was cut off as they awoke in the pods, and Cat relaxed.

'Thank kami! Now get me OUTTA this thing!'

Stepping out in a rush, Cat was happy to stretch her muscles, free of constraints.

Honeycutt was happy that they were okay, but Mortu seemed confused.

"I still don't understand how the oracle pods malfunctioned…"

"Oh, but I do!" A familiar voice stated, and they turned to see the Shredder, Hun, and Foot ninja at the only exit.

"…Oh come ON! Isn't it bad enough I got stuck in that thing?"

Cat shivered.

"You guys KNOW I hate confined spaces like that!"

Leo seemed in shock.

"How can you still be alive? I killed you myself!"

"You merely separated my head from my body, a courtesy I shall gladly extend to all of you! For none of you will be leaving here alive!"

As his dark laughter filled the room, Cat felt every muscle tense.

"We'll see about that, tin man…"


	29. Chapter 29

Cat saw Stockman's head in a strange spider-like mechanical body

Cat saw Stockman's head in a strange spider-like mechanical body.

"EW!! Kill it-Kill it-Kill it!!"

Raph looked at her as she hid behind his shell.

"…Yer such a girl…"

"I am, thank you! And SORRY that I don't like spiders!"

Glancing uneasily at the head, she shrank more into hiding.

"Especially ones controlled by a mad scientist…"

Said mad scientist used beams to blast Honeycutt back.

"…Who can do THAT now!"

"…Wanna squish 'im?"

"…What do YOU think?" She asked, pulling out her blades.

The six charged, attacking the Foot ninja as three Guardians came in to protect Mortu.

Cat did a spin-kick.

"One!"

She elbowed someone coming at her from behind.

"Two!"

She in-stepped on another's foot, throwing the ninja over her shoulder.

"Three strikes, you're out!"

She grinned.

"Suckers!"

Master Splinter seemed to be doing well against Hun, and even Mortu knew some moves.

The Shredder confronted him, and it seemed that they'd been enemies for a thousand years.

"Wait, if they've been enemies for so long…" Cat stated, using her blades to disarm a Foot ninja before kicking him in the stomach.

"Then this is the same Shredder from hundreds of years ago." Leo finished.

Hun grabbed Mortu from behind, holding him still as Shredder moved to finish him off.

Utroms came, blasting at them, and forcing Hun to release Mortu, but Shredder made short work of them.

One had fallen out of his little flying pad, and a Foot Elite, wielding an ax, tried to chop him up.

"HEY!"

Cat scooped him up, kicking the Elite away.

"Don't pick on the cute little aliens!"

Jumping back and dodging the ax, she gave a sympathetic look to the Utrom in her arms.

"Sorry about this…"

She looked past the Elite.

"DONNIE!! GO LONG!!"

Throwing the Utrom through the air, she only breathed out when Don caught him, placing him in his strange little flying pad.

Kicking away the Elite, she saw Stockman attack Raph and Mikey.

"HEY!"

She jumped up, drop-kicking the ground between the two groups and making the ground quake.

"Spider-boy, you'd better back off before I decide to make you into a Spider Pancake!"

"Stockman, stand down! You have more important things to do!"

"No! My revenge comes first!"

It seemed the small head was shocked, and he went to get a device under Shredder's command or something.

Mortu panicked.

"The Transmat! We mustn't let him get to it!"

The door slid closed after the strange cyborg, and Hun, along with a couple Elite's, stood in front of it.

"…Oh, this is just GREAT…" Cat muttered.

"You will be going nowhere!" The Shredder said from behind them, but Leo kicked him into a strange sack, getting him stuck in a sticky substance, and Mortu used the strange keyboard to encase the Shredder in it.

"…COOL…Can I get one for Mikey?"

"HEY…"

Some went to free the Shredder from his new prison as others attacked them, but the six mutants held them off as Mortu, Honeycutt, the two Guardians, and the Utroms ran to secure the Transmat, Mortu promising to send help once the device was secured.

Shredder burst out, and seemed ready to head to the door when they cut him off.

"Sorry, but this exit is only for Utroms and Mutants." Cat joked, weapons ready.

"You will not stand in my way!"

Using the keypad, he closed off the door, made the sacks burst and hit them with water, and made a strange tunnel come to help the Foot get out, which then proceeded to disappear into the wall.

Cat sputtered, not wanting to think what the liquid actually WAS, and slashed at the wall, seeing it heal itself as Don tried to work the controls.

He didn't understand them, and then got the idea that the room was Techno-Organic, and had nerve endings.

So, following the beat of his own Bo, they hit the wall, and Cat almost heard it growl like Mikey's stomach when dinner's late.

The water, now upset, sent them shooting through the roof, and Cat landed roughly on her shell.

"…Did that thing just puke us out? 'Cause that's DISGUSTING…"

She stood up, shaking the liquid from her shell.

"Remind me NEVER to do that again!"

"I'm with you on that one, sis…" Mikey agreed.

Once they were standing, they raced to get to the Transmat, and saw the Utroms and Honeycutt on it as the Shredder seemed to be doing…monologue?

"You know, that only happens in the comics…Which means I'd have to say that, at this point, he's pretty lame…"

"I grow tired of you creatures and your constant interference! Elite ninja, attack!"

As they fought over the wires and whatever else the Transmat was connected to, Cat felt worry fill her.

"We've got to stop Stockman!"

"And here I am, all out of bugs spray!" Mikey replied, kicking away an Elite.

"Why don't we just ask the Shredder to tell 'im ta stop? He seems ta listen ta 'im."

That gave Don an idea, and he said something to Honeycutt, who then used the Shredder's voice to override the voice-activation chip that made the evil scientist so obedient.

With his new-found independence, Stockman jumped on the Shredder's chest, shocking him.

It seemed to kill him, and Stockman scuttled off as Hun picked up his 'master'.

Thing was, something dropped from the Shredder's hand and clanged on the floor as it bounced.

When it stopped, it seemed to use strange claws to sink into the floor, a timer counting down from ten minutes now visible.

"…Um…That's not good, is it?"

Strange red lines, like veins, spread across the floor and everything else.

"Don't touch it! It's an Utrom Implosion device! The Techno-Organic virus it contains could destroy you!" Mortu warned.

"Already, it has thoroughly infected the system. The entire building will implode! In less than ten minutes!"

Cat just felt her heartbeat stop, restart, then sky-rocket in less than a moment.

"…Aw shell…"

"Can't you stop it?!" Don asked in a near-panic.

"No. Unfortunately, the virus is comprehensive. It learns too quickly."

Her blood ran cold, and she grabbed Raph's hand.

A screen came up, showing three people, who said that human troops were getting deeper into the building.

Unfortunately, even with the building getting ready to implode, the lowest level was completely sealed off.

"There must be SOMEONE on the outside that we can contact!" Leo stated.

It hit Cat, and she tapped her blue-banded brother's shoulder.

"We actually have TWO somebody's, bro. April and Casey. Actually…That makes it one and a half…"

Leo called them with his Shell Cell, telling them the situation.

The Utroms powered up the Transmat, ready to head home.

They watched the secondary team and the 'counsel' head out next, and Honeycutt even went with them.

With a hug, Cat gave him a rather down-hearted goodbye, and he stepped onto the Transmat.

Leo thanked Mortu for what he'd helped them with, and Mikey got teary-eyed.

"I hate long goodbyes!"

He hugged Cat, crying into her shoulder.

"…OKAY…there, there…"

Cat patted his shell, smiling at the slightly jealous look on Raph's face.

Splinter said goodbye to Mortu, who gave him a strange orb as a goodbye gift.

Mortu stepped out of his exo-suit, asking Don to power-up the Transmat.

"Cool…"

Shuriken flew through the air, hitting the controls and making them spark.

"DONNIE!!"

Cat pulled him out of the way, taking the jolts of electricity with her shell.

Apparently, the Shredder wasn't dead, and he was determined to kill them all…

Jumping into the midst of their group, the Shredder knocked them away easily, stepping onto the Transmat.

Cat got up in an instant.

'Oh no! Professor!'

With a burst of energy, the six attacked, Splinter kicking him clean off the device.

The Foot headed out to find Stockman as the Shredder stood ready to fight them to the death.

Don had already started up the Transmat, and the bright light showed it was starting to work.

The Utroms, Guardians, and Honeycutt were gone before the Shredder could stop them.

"You. You have been little more thorns in my side, but now you have robbed me of my triumph, and for that, you shall pay with your lives!"

Raising his gauntlet, he seemed ready to attack, but Splinter blocked it.

"Can't you see, tin head?! The building is about to implode!! Even YOU'LL die!!" Cat nearly shouted.

"Then we'll all die together!!"

He cut Don's Bo staff in half, kicking him away.

"Your frickin' insane!!" Cat yelled in exasperation, ready to tackle him to the ground and beat some sense into him.

They seemed to be cutting him up pretty bad, but he was sparking.

"Guys! Use your weapons to penetrate his armor! I think we can stop him for good!" Don ordered.

"Whatever you say, bro!"

Cat jumped up, throwing her blades like shuriken, and they 'thunked' into his armor.

Don made a spark once all their weapons were in his armor, and it struck their enemy like a bolt of lightning.

He fell back, seemingly dead, when his stomach opened, revealing the red, scarred Utrom criminal from their time in the oracle pods.

He jumped on Raph's face, and Cat jumped to his aid as quick as lightning, and she kicked him clean off.

"You should've expected that, Raphie-boy."

"Not now, Kitten…"

"Quick, guys! I've got the Transmat recalibrated!"

"Then let's hope it works in less than five seconds!" Cat replied, jumping onto it.

They were transported mere seconds before it was set to go off, and they landed on the Battle Shell.

"…OW…Thanks, Donnie…Maybe next time, you'll make us fall onto a pile of manure!!"

"Sorry, sis…"

"You guys are okay!"

They looked down to see April and Casey.

"April! Casey!"

Jumping down, Cat got hugged by April and then Casey in turn before they hugged the others.

"So…You a news reporter now, April?"

"In another LIFETIME, maybe…"

"I believe we should continue our reunion in a less conspicuous location." Splinter suggested.

As they strapped in, Cat looked up as Leo asked, "Do you think this is the last we'll see of the Shredder?"

"The Shredder?! Don't tell me he was in there, too!!" April stated.

Cat smirked.

"BOY, do we have a story to tell YOU…" The five turtles chorused.


	30. Chapter 30

Cat was strumming Old Betsy when she saw Leo come out of the bathroom, meeting up with Splinter

Cat was strumming Old Betsy when she saw Leo come out of the bathroom, meeting up with Splinter.

Cat nearly fell over with laughter when she heard them talking about shampoo and conditioner, and gripped her sides.

"I-I can't…I-I can't br-breathe!"

Trying to get out of ear-shot, she nearly crawled to the entertainment area, where Raph was watching the news.

"These gangs really tick me off!"

"Raph, everything ticks you off." Don noted.

"Not EVERYTHIN'…Alright, everythin'…"

Cat smiled.

"Aw, come on! There's gotta be ONE thing that doesn't tick you off…"

"…Actually, that sometimes DOES…"

Cat pouted.

"Well, then maybe I should keep them to myself, wise guy."

"Let's not go that far, Kitten."

"Then take it back."

Don was watching this exchange with interest.

"…Fine…It doesn't tick me off…THAT bad…"

"Good. Now maybe you'll get more."

"More what?"

Cat turned to Don, and smiled sheepishly.

"…Um…Brownies! Yeah, brownies."

"…HEY…I want brownies…"

"I'll go make them now!"

Cat ran into the kitchen, avoiding an excited Mikey, who held a still-popping bowl of popcorn for Movie Night.

"Hey, Kitty! What about Movie Night?"

"Brownies."

"…You stay right where you are!"

"I thought so…"

'And I'm not watching a movie CASEY picks…it's probably sexist…'

That's when Casey came, making the movie in his hands fly because he tripped, but Leo, with many fancy ninja moves, saved it.

Casey jumped onto the couch as the movie was put in the VCR, and Cat mixed the brownie batter as she watched from the kitchen entrance.

She wore a white apron that said 'Kiss the Brownie-Maker' in brown that Mikey had gotten for her a few years back.

Whenever she'd wear it, he'd jokingly kiss her cheek, saying he was only obeying the apron.

"A Western…Who'd have thunk it…"

As the movie neared its end, Cat was waiting for the timer to ding for the brownies as she watched the screen in suspense.

"Aw…All the popcorn's gone…"

The oven dinged.

"And now we have BROWNIES!!"

Cat went to the oven before Mikey could pounce, pulling out the treats.

"You know what would go great with these brownies…"

Don grinned.

"Ice cream run!"

The boys jumped up in excitement, and Cat pulled off her apron, hanging it on a hook.

Master Splinter even came with them, just to make sure they wouldn't get into trouble.

As they drove in the Battle Shell, Mikey kept asking Cat, who had the brownies in a special package to protect them from going cold or from being eaten on the way, if he could have one.

"No. You'll eat them all…AGAIN…"

They stopped in an alley, and April and Casey got the ice cream.

"Who ordered the coffee ice cream with Oreo crumbs?"

"ME!" Cat stated, grabbing the cone and sitting in the Battle Shell, contentedly licking her sweet treat.

She froze mid-lick, her senses pricking.

'My spidey-sense are tingling…'

She nearly giggled at the internal joke, when she heard something cut through the air.

"LEO!!"

He caught a blade with his bare hands, and Cat jumped to her feet, sticking the rest of her ice cream into her mouth easily.

"Watch out, guys."

Master Splinter recognized the dagger, which was apparently a marker for a duel to the death.

"…Well, ain't THAT dandy?"

"Young warriors, the ones called Leonardo and Caterina, I have come to this dimension to battle the one called Oroku Saki, the Shredder. But you both stole that honor from me when you defeated the Shredder in combat. So, for fame and glory, I must destroy you both in his stead. I challenge you both to a duel."

"…OKAY…Here's the thing…When you destroy ME…Hell will have frozen over for all eternity…So…YEAH…"

"Whoa, whackbag! Ya mess with my siblings, ya mess with me!"

"You mess with ALL of us!" Casey added.

"These are not the rules."

Splinter sighed.

"I know…"

The opponent held out a weird paddle, making it change and create a strange floating man…

"…OKAY…WEIRD…" Cat muttered.

"Master Splinter, was is this?" Leo questioned.

"It's a Universal Challenge Match…"

They were surrounded by a strange blue force field, and Raph's sai couldn't seem to penetrate it.

"What's with this thing?!"

"If the warriors Leonardo and Caterina do not fight, then your lives are forfeit." The man explained.

"And if they accept and lose, then THEIR lives are forfeit."

Cat sighed, sharing a glance with the red-banded turtle.

"Well, I'm in. I'd prefer it be me than them."

"I accept the challenge as well."

Stepping forward, Cat put her hands on the handles of her blades.

"You're going down."

"That's some big talk coming from a weak little girl…"

"…Oh, you did NOT just say that…"

Leo put a hand on her shoulder.

"Not yet, sis…"

Master Splinter moved to the floating man.

"I demand a full observance."

"Full observance accorded."

The man didn't seem happy about it, but somehow disappeared.

"Warriors…Warriors…Prepare to meet your doom…"

"Well, he's a little over-dramatic…"

"I agree with you, April…"

"He'd better not try anythin'…"

Cat smiled at him.

"Raphie, I'll be fine. This guy doesn't stand a chance. Not after what he said…"

Mikey shivered.

"He signed his will…"

"Yeah…and he signed it 'dumbass'…"

Master Splinter touched her arm, catching her attention.

"My children, this will be difficult for you. But I believe you both have the skill."

He smiled slightly.

"And you have the heart for it. Putting your family before yourselves is an honorable trait."

Cat nodded.

"Yes, sensei."

The floating man moved a puddle underneath the two, and they started falling in.

'It's like quicksand! Only faster!'

"Guys!! HELP!!"

Raph jumped to grab onto her hand, but she was through before he reached her.

The two turtles ended up in the park, and Cat quirked an eyeridge before following her blue-banded brother.

Looking around, she felt her senses prick when shadows moved through the trees on either side.

The purple cape landed before them, and the first thought that came to her mind was that it was a distraction.

Looking around, she saw their opponent appear behind Leo, and she tensed.

"Look out!"

She blocked his strike with her forearm, aiming a kick.

He moved back, and she landed in a crouch, blocking his kick and twisting him in order to throw him over her shoulder.

"Ha! Not so tough NOW, are you?"

He swept her feet out from under her, making her fall heavily on her shell.

"…I can't believe I fell for that…"

She sat up, putting a hand on her head, as she saw Leo fight and get kicked into a lamppost.

The man pulled out a blade connected to a ball and chain, and threw the weight.

Leo dodged, through the lamppost was knocked clean over, and Cat flipped onto her feet.

When the weight flew at her, she pulled out her blades, knocking it away before it turned its attack to Leo.

With a flick of the wrist, Cat's blade flew and cut the chain, allowing Leo to dodge the weight.

"What-?!"

Jumping up, she kicked him clean across the face, knocking him into a tree.

Grabbing her blade off the ground, she smiled at her brother.

Soon, they were on a road, their opponent on a truck.

"Let's go!"

Jumping down from the bridge they were on, she focused all the energy into her legs and ran as fast as she could.

Soon catching up with the truck, her legs were like blurs underneath her.

Leo was using the trees, and soon jumped on top of the truck.

Joining him, she pulled out her blades.

Their opponent also pulled out two katana, and the three clashed.

Jumping up over his swords, she swung downward, forcing him to block, and Leo swept his feet out from under him.

Leo went to stab him through, but he disappeared, causing Leo's katana to get caught in the metal as their opponent reappeared behind him.

"HEY!"

Cat jumped at him from behind after he kicked Leo in the shell, and she blocked his strike.

"You're such a cheater…"

She kneed him in the stomach, doing a vicious uppercut.

"You're lucky I'M not…"

Leo stood, but he could only dodge the vicious swipes of the katana.

Cat blocked and dodged, slashing back herself, when both her and Leo were forced to the edge of the truck.

With a cry of surprise, she fell back, but she grabbed the door, some kind of static in her palms making her stick.

She saw Leo use a strange grappling hook and rope to swing back, kicking the man clean off the truck before jumping down.

'Well, better to be a follower at this point…'

Releasing her hold, she rolled to absorb the impact, stopping on her feet.

A car came, forcing them to jump up the large cables and stand on the top.

With another ball and chain, as well as a gauntlet, he hit both down.

Groaning in pain, Cat rolled onto her side.

He went to stab Leo first, but the blue-banded turtle grabbed the gauntlet and kicked him away, standing up.

Cat followed suit as he moved closer, when their opponent threw green dust, causing Leo to cough.

She saw him attack, forcing her brother to the edge, and ran forward.

"Leo!!"

He was knocked over the edge…

"LEO!!"

Eyes flashing red, she tackled him, putting a blade at his throat.

"You basturd! I should kill you!"

Rage and grief clouded her eyes like storm clouds, and you could almost see the lightning flash in the violet eyes.

With the strength of what someone would suspect of four turtles, she flung him over the edge as well.

Jumping to make sure he wasn't about to come back, she saw him cut a cable Leo was holding onto.

"…Shell…"

The cable grew taut, saving the blue-banded turtle, and she relaxed.

The two katana he had glinted as he cut the cable.

"NO!!"

He pulled on the gauntlet and stabbed the wall, stopping his decent above the water, and Cat glared at her opponent.

"You are SO dead…"

She dodged his katana, slashing at him.

He kicked her in the chest, and she flew through the air and over the edge.

With a short cry of surprise and pain, she was free-falling, and she reached for the bricks.

Static raced across her palms and in between her fingers, and it connected to the bricks, stopping her descent.

She planted her feet firmly on the stone, hoping it would connect, and ran straight up, flipping forward at the top and landing between the 'Ultimate Ninja' and her family, which were in the weird bubble.

"Hey, big boy. Miss me?"

"Go get him, sis!" Mikey cheered.

"Beat 'im up good, Kitten."

"Don't worry about THAT…"

She smiled at Leo.

"Ready, bro?"

He nodded, and the two charged.

Their opponent threw strange little ball-shaped shuriken, and Cat jumped up, knocking them away with her blades, and joined her brother in a kick to his chest.

The red mask fell off as he fell on his back, and Cat grinned.

"You're down and you're out!"

He stood up, and Leo started beating the crap out of him, but once the 'Ultimate Ninja' drew his katana, she jumped up, split-kicking his hands and doing a hand stand in order to wrap her legs around his neck and through him over her.

Leo caught the blades, and crossed them over their opponents neck.

"Guess we were too much for you…"

The two bowed.

"But you fought well…I guess…"

She flinched, rubbing her ribs where Leo elbowed her as she pouted.

"…No brownies for YOU…"

She heard Mikey cheer.

"YES! More for me!"

Cat pulled out the katana, throwing them until they skidded into the strange force field.

The force field was removed, and she grinned at her other brothers.

"You guys were awesome!!" Mikey exclaimed, hugging her side.

"Thanks, bro."

Raph patted her shell, smirking.

"Good one, Kitten."

"My children, I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, sensei."

The two chorused, and Cat returned the hug she received from the elderly rat.

Her head snapped up when a strange green dragon came from the green dust blown out of the 'Ultimate Ninja' hand.

It looked ready to eat them, and Cat felt something akin to electricity race to her right hand, nearly burning her skin.

Suddenly, it was cut in half, and seemed hollow inside as it fell.

"…Um…?"

As the green dust cleared, a large man in a gold mask and red samurai armor, holding a sword, became visible.

"Master." The floating man said in reverence.

He seemed unhappy that his 'son' would try to disgrace both of them, and seemed willing to atone.

He returned Leo's katana.

"You both fought honorably, and won. You should be proud."

Cat smiled sheepishly.

"That's the first step to defeat. I'll stay with cocky." She joked.

The three left, and they headed down the cables to the street.

"Hey, what happened to those brownies?"

Cat froze, and smacked her forehead.

"THE BROWNIES!!"

Mikey panicked.

"What happened?! Did they fall into the river?! Did you land on them?! He didn't take them, did he?!"

Cat grinned, pulling the bundle out of her belt.

"Nope. I'm just messing with you."

"…You shouldn't use the brownies against me!"

"Why? They're mine!"

Cat hugged them to her chest.

Raph smirked, an idea coming to him.

Cat jumped into the air.

"EEP!!"

She turned to mock-glare at him, rubbing her butt and tail.

"Raphie! Don't pinch me there!"

"Then don't be selfish."

Mikey swiped the brownies.

"HEY!!"

Raph lifted her off her feet before she could follow her orange-banded brother, and was surprised when he hugged her close, nearly crushing her.

"For a sec…I thought I'd lost ya again…and it hurt so much the first time…"

"…I'm like a boomerang…I keep coming back…whether you want me to or not…"

Pulling back, she smiled reassuringly.

"After all, I'm a great kunoichi!"


	31. Chapter 31

Cat twirled the staff she'd been given, compensating for her lack of sight, thanks to her bandana covering her eyes, and nearly giggled when she heard one of Mikey's handheld games

Cat twirled the staff she'd been given, compensating for her lack of sight, thanks to her bandana covering her eyes, and nearly giggled when she heard one of Mikey's handheld games.

'He's SO gonna get it…'

She heard it fall, and Mikey's panicked words.

"Game Dude! Speak to me, Game Dude!"

He was pulled back into the group, and they were told to defend themselves.

Cat blocked the walking stick coming for her shin, and she lifted her own bamboo staff, ready to strike.

Splinter said they were done for the day, and tripped Mikey.

Cat side-stepped the dog-pile that formed, and righting her bandana.

"Nice one, guys."

"Yeah, yeah…"

Cat help Raph up, pushing him towards the picnic blanket April and Casey were on.

"Ya know, I was just thinkin' 'bout the first time we met the Shredder, and he nearly had Leonardo here going over to the 'dark side'…Even Kitten could tell somethin' was up! OW!!"

He glared at Cat.

"I'm not stupid! When I first met him, I knew he was bad news. Remember, Leo?"

She sat back.

"We got a little invitation, and you just HAD to go…I didn't want to get your shell mailed home, so I went with…Then came fighting and the lying…Which I STILL can't believe you bought…"

Mikey did Darth Vader breathing.

"Join me, Leonardo. I am your father."

SMACK!!

"OW!! Kitty!!"

"I should've seen it coming…"

"Well, I'm just glad that the Shredder didn't see Master Splinter coming!" Mikey stated.

"Remember the first time we fought the Shredder? He kicked our shells all over the place!"

Cat remembered what had happened BEFORE that, and a dreamy smile flitted across her face.

"Will he ever die?"

"He DOES have a habit of coming back…" Leo replied.

"Yeah. Remember April's place." Don added.

"I wish I knew what happened…" Cat said guiltily.

"Ya don't remember anythin'?"

She shook her head.

"Why?"

"Ya stood up and everythin' and beat the crap out of those Foot Elite with one hand!"

"…You can't be serious…"

"I'm not kiddin'! Yer eyes were red and ya were blastin' this weird black energy everywhere!"

Still skeptical, she turned her questioning gaze to Splinter.

"It is true, my daughter."

"…Whoa…Even UNCONSCIOUS, I kick shell!"

"I believe it was another side of you that you've buried within yourself. It came out when you were too weak to fight it back."

"…It's scary that I've been doing that without meaning to…" Cat muttered.

"Sorry if I broke anything…"

"Nothin' that wasn't already broken…"

"Yeah, Raph. THAT'S reassuring…"

"Maybe the Shredder's really gone…"

"I don't know…I really thought Leo had finished him off at the Foot's headquarters."

Cat nodded.

"He seemed dead then…"

"Yeah, but it wasn't. Remember when the Utroms tried to beam themselves back home?"

"Yeah. He left that Utrom Implosion Device, and they had to leave quickly. That's when we found out the Shredder was an Utrom." Cat agreed.

She shivered.

"And Stockman looks like a spider…"

Something crawled on her arm…

"EEP!! KILL IT-KILL IT-KILL IT!!"

Jumping into Raph's lap, she pulled herself into the fetal position, when she heard Mikey's laughter.

Seeing the rubber spider on her arm, her eyes hardened.

"…MIKEY!!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

As Cat chased Mikey, eventually tackling him and hitting him upside the head, Don smiled.

"Her arachnophobia will be the death of Mikey yet…"

"DON'T do that again!!"

Mikey whimpered.

"Okay! Okay!"

Cat plopped down next to Raph, looking pleased.

"THAT'LL teach him where he should put his spider toys next time…"

She looked at the knowing faces.

"…What?"

"You know that's not the end of it…" Leo noted.

"…If only…"

Mikey came back, that Wounded Puppy look on his face, and they saw Cat crack.

"…Oh, just sit down!"

He smiled triumphantly, plopping down behind them.

"…Don't think you're out of the woods just yet…" She muttered.

Noticing the thoughtful look on Leo's face, she gave him a questioning look.

"What's on your mind, Leo?"

"…I was just thinking about Master Yoshi…Not only was he Master Splinter's sensei, he was a Guardian...Sworn to protect valuable secrets of the Utroms…Secrets the Shredder and his horde would stop at nothing to learn…"

"He didn't go down without a fight, though." Raph added.

"Yeah. From what Master Splinter told us, Master Yoshi was one tough dude!"

Cat sighed.

"…I wish we could've met him…"

"Well, you have to admire his courage. He was defiant to the last." Don stated.

"Yeah…Even though it cost him his life…"

"I've always found that trait admirable, and I'm glad it has passed on to my children."

Cat smiled.

"Yep. But I think it's more of a 'teen rebellion' thing…"

"If that were true, you wouldn't have been willing to keep fighting to protect your family."

"…I don't think even death could stop me."

"…We'll have a ghost for a sister? COOL!"

SMACK!!

"OW!!"

"That's not what I meant!! I meant that I-WON'T-DIE!!"

"…Um…How are you going to do that?"

"…Oh, I don't know…Maybe I won't get hit by lasers, slashed up by swords, fall into the river, get attacked by wild animals, and…NOT mix up the bird duck with DUCK…"

"ONE time!!"

"It only takes one time!"

As if to take her mind off the incident once and for all, Mikey threw mud at her.

It splashed on her plastron, and she fell back on her shell.

"MIKEY!! YOU ARE _SO _DEAD!!"

"EEP!!"

In a flash, Cat had tackled her brother, holding him down on his shell.

"Do you WANT me to make you eat dirt? 'Cause I will!"

"No! Not again!"

"This time, I'll actually LOOK for the worms!"

"Caterina! Don't make Michelangelo eat worms!"

"Hai, sensei."

April seemed a bit surprised.

"I never thought of her as the 'make someone eat dirt' type…"

"When you live with four boys, you grow into such threats." Splinter explained.

"Yeah. She didn't really start gettin' out 'a it till she turned thirteen. She was a real tomboy till then." Raph added.

"Yeah. She'd get into mud, she'd try to keep sewer rats as pets, and loved riding around on her skateboard. Haven't you noticed how banged up her kneepads are? She fell down a lot." Leo added in.

"I don't do that anymore!!" Cat stated, joining in now that she'd scared Mikey out of his shell.

"I work on a precision instrument that no longer bucks me off like a pissed off bull!"

"…You would go over rocks, Kitten…"

"…Don't bring that up, Raph…"

"You know, I just thought of something funny…"

"What's funny, Donnie? That I fell off my skateboard and it hit Mikey in the nose?"

"No, not that…Actually, that was pretty funny…But it's not really 'Ha ha' funny, just…weird funny…I was just thinking that the Shredder played a bigger hand in our lives than we know. Without the Shredder, we'd all still be pet turtles in a glass jar right now."

Silence…

"…What?"

"Well, allow me to explain. As you all might recall, we all got mutated by that strange ooze when we were only babies. The ooze that mutated us came from the TCRI building. And why did the TCRI building even exist? Because the Utroms were trying to build their Transmat so they could go home. And WHY did the Utroms need to go home?"

"…Because they were late for dinner?"

SMACK!!

"OW!!"

"Not now, Mikey." Cat scolded lightly.

"…No…Because a prisoner they were transporting across the galaxy crashed their starship, causing them to crash land on Earth centuries ago, and they'd been trapped here ever since. And who was this evil prisoner that caused the Utroms so much trouble? He was, in fact…drum roll, please…The Shredder! Ergo, the Shredder had a direct hand in our creation. See what I mean?"

"…I think…" Cat muttered, looking up at the dark sky.

Feeling the warmth of the fire on her skin, she shivered at the breeze that hit her shell.

"…I think I speak for everyone when I say…No."

Cat smiled slightly, elbowing Raph in the ribs.

"Don't be so rude. It kinda made sense."

"Ladies and gentle-mutants, how NOT to tell our origin story!" Mikey joked.

So Don explained it more simply, and Cat felt Goosebumps on her skin.

"…I need a shower…"

"The Shredder may be a part of our origin, but it is we who chose our fate."

"And, even if the Shredder's still out there, no matter what he throws at us, no matter how he messes with our lives, nothing he does will change the most important thing: That we're family."

Silence…

Until Mikey's laugh broke through…

"Leo, that was off the charts on the Sap-O-Meter!"

SMACK!!

"OW!! Kitty!!"

"Stop making fun of him!! That was sweet!!"

"…You're only saying that 'cause you're a girl…"

"And YOU'RE only saying it's sappy 'cause YOU'RE a boy!!"

"Yeah, just eat your smores and keep quiet. Leo's got a point." Raph agreed.

A marshmallow smacked into his nose, and Cat covered her mouth in order to hide a giggle.

"You are SO dead, laughing boy!"

"Watch out for the graham crackers!" Leo warned as Raph tackled the youngest turtle.

Cat rolled her eyes as Leo and Don joined in, most likely to break them up, and then Casey joined into the pile…

"…Boys…"

"Well, that's just the way boys are, Cat…"

Cat turned to her sensei.

"Is there anyway we could teach them some manners? PLEASE?"

"Teaching them the ancient art of Ninjitsu is hard enough…I'm afraid even I can not work miracles…"

'…And that was my last hope…darn it…'


	32. Chapter 32

"Mikey, the hoverboard is NOT meant to take people's heads off

"Mikey, the hoverboard is NOT meant to take people's heads off!" Cat scolded.

She gave April an apologetic look when Don splashed her TWICE with river water.

"…You shouldn't stand so close…"

"…I know that NOW…"

Raph actually threw Mikey off…and said turtle smacked into April…who smacked into Cat…

"…RAPH!!"

"…Uh oh…"

Running over, Raph helped the two girls up, and Cat gave him an irritated look.

"…And to think I'd get used to this…"

"Sorry, Kitten…"

"Yeah, yeah…"

Casey came, saying he was going to be borrowing some of Don's tools, and April seemed a bit happy she was around another human.

Apparently, he was going to be repairing a ferris wheel at 'Coney Island' or something…

Apparently, April hadn't been there in years, so Casey invited her…to help…

At least, that's what HE said…

April agreed to go, and both had a mutual agreement that it was NOT a date.

'…Yeah, right…'

"Raph, stop chasing Mikey!! Get back here!!"

Tackling him, she grinned at the red-banded turtle beneath her.

"You've been a bad turtle, mister grumpy."

He flipped, switching their positions.

"Like ya've been much better, sweetheart."

She smiled innocently, and pushed him off.

"Tag! You're it!"

And she ran into his room.

With a chuckle, he followed her, and Mikey looked a tad confused…

Until he remembered something VERY important…

"…EW…"

He DIDN'T want to think of what was going on past that closed door…

Hours later, they'd finally came out, and were sitting in front of the TV's.

Cat jumped up when she saw Casey come and give April flowers.

"The show's on, Raph."

"So…Where are you taking our April?" Leo asked, almost like a protective parent.

"Guys, it's not a date." Casey defended.

"And when will you have her home, young man?"

Cat grinned at her sensei.

"Everybody, knock it off! It's not a date! It's just Casey, and we're just working a repair job! Now, goodnight!"

The two left after April's little speech, and Cat put her hands on her hips.

"…It's a date…"

Soon, the turtle family was watching the news, where reports that sounded familiar to the robot they'd fought before.

"…Not again…" Cat muttered.

Don felt bad for the robot, remembering how it acted like a helpless child, and said they should give it an alternative life.

"I agree with you. Everyone deserves a second chance…It's the THIRD chance that's pushing it…"

"…I know I'm gonna regret this…" Raph muttered.

Though they didn't know where to look, Don had the idea of looking for something on the nanobots themselves.

So they surrounded him around his computer, and he showed them data he'd recorded of the nanobots the first time.

Apparently, they had registration numbers on them…

Very TINY registration numbers…

So Don went on an Internet search to see who the little robots were registered to, and Cat sat back to let him work.

'This may take a while…'

--

Running down a dark alley, Don led them to what looked like a warehouse.

"The registration lists this address."

"Looks like our little friend was already here…" Cat noted, looking at the hole in the wall.

Heading inside through the larger entrance, they looked around the strange lab.

"…We may be a little late for the party, boys…Is that a house?"

They looked at it more closely.

"…A DESTROYED house, I grant you…"

"It looks like Dick and Jane go Insane…" Mikey added.

Cat nearly tripped in a massive footprint.

"…Trackin' 'im ain't gonna be too hard…" Raph noted.

So they piled into the Battle Shell, and drove to, strangely enough, 'Coney Island'.

The large vehicle stopped in front of April and Casey, and Cat jumped out.

"Hey, guys. Seen any giant rampaging robots anywhere?"

Something crashed.

"…Never mind…I found it…"

"It's throwing a tantrum. We've got to try and talk to it."

"…TALK to it?"

The robot threw part of the Ferris wheel.

"…You can do that, Donnie…"

Her brothers moved closer, and Cat rolled her eyes before following them.

"Whoa, buddy! Calm down!" Cat called, trying to look innocent.

"We don't want to fight!" Leo added.

A replay of the five turtles, mainly the boys, beating the crap out of the robot appeared on the screen.

Like a replay.

"…They did it."

The nanobots spread to the rides, and Cat nearly fell over like someone from the animes she loved so much.

"…We are SO screwed…"

"…Ya think?"

The robot advanced, and Cat pulled out her blades.

It threw a punch, and she jumped back.

"Calm down, buddy! I'm sorry about that! I just want to help you!"

Her brothers had backed up further behind her, and Don seemed to get an idea.

"…S-Sorry?"

"Yeah."

Cat lowered her blades, and felt Don and April head off toward the rollercoaster.

"…S-Sorry…Wh-Why?"

He sounded like a wounded child…or a wounded Mikey…

Both are the same…

"'Cause you deserve better...It hurts to see you in pain…"

'Hope I'm not laying it on too thick…'

"…L-Like…S-Sister?"

"Yeah. Kinda."

Something twisted in her gut.

'…I screwed up SOMETHING, didn't I?'

"S-Sister…"

A strange tentacle came out of his guarded chest, grabbing hold of her around the waist.

"HEY!"

"KITTEN!!"

She was lifted into the air before Raph could reach her, and was pulled into the protected area and held down.

"…Great…"

"AH!"

"…Oh, great…If it isn't Mr. Crook and…Wait, I don't think I've seen YOU before…"

"YA BETTER SPIT 'ER OUT BEFORE I RIP YA OPEN, YA GIANT TIN CAN!!"

Cat grinned sheepishly.

"…My angry brother…"

"AHHHH!! HE ATE KITTY!! WE'RE _DOOMED_!!"

"…My other brother…"

"Guys, calm down!!"

"…My rational brother…"

The robot swayed, and Cat's shell hit the wall.

"…Ow…GUYS!! DON'T ROCK THE ROBOT!! IT KINDA HURTS!!"

"SHE'S _ALIVE_!!"

"…MIKEY, STOP BEING OVERDRAMATIC!! JUST DO WHATEVER DON SAID TO!!"

"…RIGHT-O!!"

'…Loveable goofball…'

She heard SOMETHING spark, and tensed.

'…Hope they're not gonna kill me…'

The robot kept moving around, and Cat braced herself.

"WATCH IT, GUYS!! ANYMORE OF THIS, AND I'LL CRACK MY SHELL OPEN!!"

Suddenly, everything sparked, and the robot fell apart.

Pulling herself out of the rubble, she felt two strong arms pull her up.

"Raph…"

"Kitten, are ya okay?"

"I'm fine…I might have some scratches on my shell, but I should be okay…"

The screen was still fuzzy, and his voice chanted, "Fa-Mi-Ly…Fa-Mi-Ly…" for a few seconds before it shut off.

"…All he wanted was a family…" Cat muttered.

"…Doesn't seem like much, does it?"

As the police came, they hid around a shed, and gave the missing jewels to April.

"You can use the rewards to rebuild your shop." Leo offered.

"But we should share the reward."

"Sharing is good…"

SMACK!!

"OW!!"

"Knock it off!!" Cat scolded.

"Thanks, guys."

"Guess once you get your place back, we won't be seeing you so much anymore…" Don noted.

April pecked him on the cheek.

"Of course you will, guys. We're family."

Cat grinned.

"And family saves family from crazy robots!"

"…I can't believe you didn't break out…"

"If I had, MICHELANGELO, he would've KILLED ME…SO…I didn't!"

'…And thank the Lord no one got killed…'


	33. Chapter 33

Cat was helping April pack up her things from Mikey's room, listening to 'Colors of the Wind' on her MP3 player

Cat was helping April pack up her things from Mikey's room, listening to 'Colors of the Wind' on her MP3 player.

She glanced up when Mikey was at the doorway, and turned her attention to putting a lamp safely in a box.

She didn't listen to their conversation, but guessed Mikey tried to yell at a still-sleeping Raph.

'Too bad only kisses wake up THAT turtle…'

Apparently, April scared the crap out of Mikey, and he left in a foul mood.

Giving the red head a questioning look, she closed a box.

"He's just a bit cranky…"

"…Its Raph-Snores…They could keep the deepest sleeper awake…Actually…HE'S the deepest sleeper…"

Cat grinned, standing up.

"Better make sure he doesn't annoy anyone before I hit the sack. Later, April."

She walked out to find Mikey looking at the news on TV before heading to see what Don was doing.

'…What IS Don doing?'

Following him, she saw Don was working on something near the hole full of river water.

He conned Mikey into putting on a helmet and going into the water, but he wasn't lucky enough to get Cat to do it.

Even compared to Mikey, she was the fastest swimmer…

Not to mention she had more common sense…

She sat on the edge instead, swinging her legs through the water.

"This water is pretty cold…" She noted.

Mikey jumped in, and she dodged the splash, which struck Don instead.

"…Sorry, Donnie…"

"…Not YOUR fault he splashes…"

After a while, Cat saw a strange shadow in the water.

'What's he doing down there?'

She sat Indian style on the edge, looking curious.

Bubbles came up, and she cocked her head.

"Mikey? Donnie, is he…?"

Shock sparked her body into action.

"DONNIE, HE'S DROWNING!!"

Don panicked, flipping a switch that started pulling the two tubes that were attached to Mikey's helmet.

'Please be okay-Please be okay-Please be okay!'

He broke the surface, and pulled off the helmet coughing.

"Oh my God! Mikey! Are you okay?"

"Get the others! You're not going to BELIEVE this!"

So they got Raph and Leo, and Mikey told them something about a large animal down there that tried to eat him.

"…Mikey…Did you hit your head down there?"

"KITTY!!"

"What?! It sounds ridiculous!!"

"Actually…Raph, remember that albino croc we tangled with years ago? Mikey's croc could actually exist." Leo reasoned.

"It DOES exist!"

Mikey was so determined to show them that the croc existed that he wanted to go back down there.

Don even gave him a mask and tank, which had a camera and two-way radio.

"…If this thing really exists, I don't want him down there alone." Cat stated firmly.

"…If it DOES exist…I don't want ya down there…"

"Raph, if there's anyone here who can fight a croc, it's me and Leo…MIKEY is not going to do very well on his own…"

Don sighed.

"…I think I have another one…"

Both were soon geared up.

"Ya two crazy kids better be careful…"

Cat pouted playfully.

"Yes, dear."

The two jumped into the water, moving like torpedoes through the water.

Cat mainly followed her youngest brother, since she didn't have the slightest idea where to look.

Mikey hid them in a pipe, and Cat saw something BIG pull a grate off another underwater pipe.

'…DAMN, that's big!'

"Come on, Kitty. The chase is on!"

Rolling her eyes, Cat followed him down the pipe, which opened up into a strange pool.

Keeping only her eyes above water, she saw the croc, which looked more humanoid now, pull himself from the water.

'…WHOA…'

He went through a passageway, and both turtles followed him.

He went through a hole in the wall into their old lair, and they followed him, hiding behind rubble.

'…He's sounding like Donnie right now…'

Apparently, the giant croc had been fixing an exo-suit, and Mikey seemed skeptical.

"I think…I think he's talking to an Utrom…" He said into the radio.

"AN UTROM!?"

It hurt both their ears, but Mikey yelped.

'Oh shell…'

"An intruder!" The croc growled.

"Move your shell, Mikey!" Cat whispered urgently, pulling him.

"Run-Run-RUN!"

"You believe me NOW?"

"NOW is not the time to rub it in my face that the croc I didn't believe existed is chasing us!!"

They ran through the hole and headed for the water, and the one chasing them crashed through the wall, the force sending them flying into the water.

"Swim, Mikey!"

"I'm swimming-I'm swimming!"

They went down, and Cat pulled off the grate to an access duct.

The croc came at them, and she threw it like a Frisbee, hitting his long muzzle as they two went down the hole.

"Move it! I don't want to have my face in your shell and my legs ripped off by a giant croc!"

"I'm moving as fast as I can!"

"Well, it's not fast enough!"

They surfaced slightly, and Cat coughed slightly.

"You guys still there?"

"Where are ya guys?"

Mikey started explaining when the croc jumped up, ready to pounce on Mikey from behind.

"MIKEY!!"

Cat got in the way, grappling with the croc's jaws as she was forced down into the water.

She was pulled back up, her grip wrenched loose, and her tank was ripped off before she was thrown into the ceiling.

When her body splashed back down, Mikey's own had been torn off.

"M-Mikey…"

Mikey was backed up into a wall.

"Good crocodile…Good crocodile…"

Getting onto her feet, she ran to his aid.

Jumping up, she kicked the croc in the back, and he smashed into the wall as Mikey dodged.

"Sorry, but I can't let you kill him. That's MY job."

Dodging his fists and tail, she ducked below a heavy blow only to hear it smack Mikey into a wall.

"You need to keep up with me, bro!"

She was smacked into a wall by her tail, and felt the bricks crumble under her shell.

He advanced on her, and she struggled to her feet.

"Look, we weren't trying to hurt you!"

He roared, making her flinch back, and there was a silence until his pupils dilated.

"I am sorry. Sometimes I get carried away."

Mikey was at her side.

"It's okay…It happens…"

Something like an engine could be heard, and the Sewer Slider came, holding their other three brothers.

They jumped out, weapons drawn, and Raph threw a sai, which 'thunked' into the stone wall near the croc's head.

"Guys, don't!"

The croc growled, his eyes narrowing to slits.

"Please, don't!"

Before she could try to calm the large reptile, his tail smacked into her like a two ton beam, sending her flying into her youngest brother on the edge of consciousness.

"KITTEN!!"

The others charged, and Mikey sat up.

"Kitty! Kitty, are you okay?"

"…M-Mikey…" She muttered, trying to move.

She turned glazed, half-opened violet eyes to the fight.

"…A-Are they o-okay?"

Her voice was so soft that Mikey hardly heard it.

"…Not really…"

Cat forced the darkness from her mind, sitting up and allowing Mikey to help her to her feet.

Once she trusted her legs, the croc burst from the water, three turtles on him.

He was forced to the ground, and Raph raised his sai.

"DON'T!"

Cat had his wrist, looking at him pleadingly.

She turned to the croc.

"Sorry. Sometimes we get carried away, too. Truce?"

His pupils dilated, and he nodded.

"You may let go of me. I accept the truce."

Warily, they released him.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Leatherhead."

"Leonardo."

"Raphael."

"Donatello."

"Caterina."

"I'm Mikey!"

"Come. It is still very drafty in these sewers. Let us return to my temporary laboratory and speak in relative comfort."

Cat followed him first, and smiled reassuringly at the others before continuing.

The whole group followed him to their old lair.

"No place like home." Raph stated.

"My sentiments exactly."

"Whoa! You're building a Transmat?" Don asked, noticing the device.

"You are familiar with the Transmat? Then you know of the Utroms…"

"Actually, the Utroms and us go way back." Leo replied.

"Really? The Utroms are…my family…It's a long story…It began when I was little more than a hatchling…"

Cat settled to listen to a long story.

He said he'd been found by the Utroms after being flushed down the toilet by a cruel owner, and was accidentally exposed to the ooze. After the Utroms had realized he was sentient, they'd adopted him, and everything had been fine until the soldiers had attacked.

After the Utroms had escaped, he'd been left behind…

'…Poor guy…It would break my heart to be left behind…'

"But once I am done building this Transmat, I will be able to rejoin my family once again."

Cat perked as footsteps reached her ears.

"My friend has returned."

An exo-suit appeared in the doorway, with…

"Baxter Stockman!"

Cat shivered.

"At least he's not a spider anymore…"

"…Look! A spider!"

"EEP!"

SMACK!!

"OW!!"

"Stop scarin' 'er, Mikey!"

Stockman accused them of making the Utroms leave and destroying the Transmat, not to mention SABOTAGING the Utrom.

"No we didn't, you lying little bowling ball!!" Cat growled.

Apparently, he had a little trick up his sleeve, and threw strange little devices, which became a large metal…turtle…

"Yeah…REAL creative…"

It scanned Don, who attacked first.

It brought out a Bo staff, blocking his strikes.

It eventually kicked him into some debris.

"Donnie!"

It scanned Leo next, and it brought out twin katana as he charged.

'…It's copying our fighting styles…based on which turtle attacks it…'

The robot threw Leo, making his katana clatter to the stones.

Raph went next, jumping to strike, but it still scanned him, bringing out a pair of sai.

'…Uh oh…'

Let's just say Raph ended up pinned to the wall by the sai…

It scanned Mikey next, bringing out 'chucks, and they clashed.

'I've got to do something it wouldn't expect of me…' Cat thought, not grabbing her blades.

'What would work, though?'

Static sparked between her fingers.

'…Maybe…'

"Mikey, duck!"

Mikey actually obeyed, and she jumped on the robots back, slamming her palms on its shell.

Something sparked, and the robot seemed to buck under her.

"Kitty, what are you doing? …'Cause that's AWESOME!"

Concentrating her life force into her palms, the shell nearly exploded, sending her flying back.

Her palms still sparked, but it died down.

"Ha! Take THAT, metalhead!"

It swung at her, forcing her to duck below the metal fist.

"If you guys don't mind…HELP!"

Jumping back, she picked up a pipe, throwing it like a spear.

It gouged the robots side when Raph charged with Leo's katana.

It brought out sai, and he cut off its arm.

"…That's a good idea…Mikey, catch!"

Mikey threw his 'chucks to her as she did the same with her blades.

Catching the weapons, Cat jumped at the robot.

It brought out her blades, and she dodged the swipes, hitting its knee out of joint.

Leo gave Don Raph's sai as he took the Bo staff, and they all joined in.

Cat actually swiped the robots sparking head clean off, and it rolled towards Stockman.

"Sorry, did I break your toy?"

Cat switched back for her weapons.

"I'm done playing."

The exo-suit lifted a piece of destroyed brick wall, and threw it at them.

'Shell!'

Cat punched it, making it crumble before it could do serious damage.

Shielding her eyes from the dust, she coughed.

She looked up when a fist smacked her across the face, sending her sprawling.

A foot smashed onto her shell.

"You are an annoying pest. Not to say you don't have…interesting skills…"

He smirked.

"Maybe I should dissect you, just to see how you tick…"

With a growl, Cat flipped over, kicking him away.

"I'm not a specimen for people to ogle! I'm a living being!"

Something smacked her in the chest, trapping her under debris.

She heard him say something to her brothers about the robbing his revenge when he was working for the Shredder, and Leatherhead's growl made her try to sit up.

"The Shredder. YOU worked for the Shredder?! He was Utrom's most hated enemy!! You weren't planning on helping me with the Transmat!! You USED me!!"

Cat pushed the bricks off, sitting up.

"Leatherhead!"

Stockman ran to an exit, and threw a tank of gas, which exploded.

The ceiling started to collapse, but Leatherhead held it up, and they started to run to the exit.

Cat skidded to a halt.

"Leatherhead, come on!"

"No! Without the Transmat, there is no point in living!"

"We'll be your family! Just come with us!" She pleaded.

"Go on with your family, young one…"

"…I-I can help…Please…"

"Kitten, hurry up!!"

"…You have more to live for than I do…"

"…I'm sorry…"

Running out after her brothers, the exit closed up after them with debris.

"…Poor Leatherhead…" Mikey stated.

"…Yeah…"

'He just wanted to be with his family…'

Cat slowly followed her family, hardly noticing when Raph put an arm around her shoulders comfortingly.

"…Ya okay, Kitten?"

"…Yeah…"

'…I just wish I could've helped him more…'


	34. Chapter 34

Cat sat back on the couch, writing pad and pen in hand as she thought of the next note for a song she was writing, and ducked her head when a Frisbee threatened to smack her in the head

Cat sat back on the couch, writing pad and pen in hand as she thought of the next note for a song she was writing, and ducked her head when a Frisbee threatened to smack her in the head.

"Be careful with that, Mikey. You might-."

The Frisbee smacked papers off Don's desk.

"…Hit something…"

Don had a blow-up, and Cat quirked an eyeridge.

"Whoa, there! What's up with you?"

Putting the pad down, she stood up.

"You haven't slept in days, bro…Maybe you're working too hard…"

"I'm working on a cure for our friends in the underground city."

Cat sighed.

"I don't even wanna know anymore…"

"Why?"

"'Cause Don's gonna find the cure and drag us on a crazy adventure down there, we're gonna fight something, we're gonna win, and then save them. That's a LONG waste of a day, if you ask ME…"

So Don worked, and so much TIME passed…

Cat was scared he'd pass out from exhaustion.

It just so happened that he got an answer when they were all ASLEEP…

Don was thrown out of Cat's room, a sleepy-eyed, irritated Cat at the door.

"I don't care if you found the lost city of Atlantis!! You DON'T wake me up in the middle of the night!!"

"But-!"

"Don't you even DARE come near my door again, or your lab will be mysteriously smashed through a wall…"

So Don shut his mouth, and Cat glared with red-rimmed violet eyes before slamming her door.

"Damn brothers and their crazy sleep patterns…" She muttered crossly, falling onto her bed.

"…Kitten?"

"GO AWAY!!"

The door started to open, and she threw the book that was by her bed.

It smacked into the door hard enough to close it, and Raph grumbled something.

"Yer such a drama queen!"

A blade went through the door.

"I need my sleep! I'M not the one that made me watch a scary movie on spiders last night!"

Leo sighed, stopping Raph from getting himself killed.

"Just leave her be."

After going to see what Don wanted to talk about, they came back.

"We're going to the underground city in the Turtle Tunneler. You coming?"

"…If you knew what was behind this door, you'd leave RIGHT now…"

She heard scurrying footsteps, and groaned into her pillow.

After an hour or two, she sat up with an irritated sigh.

'Maybe a run wouldn't be so bad…'

So she grabbed her blades, leaving a note on her door before heading topside.

Breathing in the fresh air, she stretched her arms above her head before she saw movement in an alley across the street.

Curiosity perked, she shook away the thought of 'Curiosity killed the cat' and jumped across on lampposts.

She saw a shadow hide behind a dumpster, and tensed, warily moving closer.

On the dumpster, silent as a shadow, she peeked over.

'A little girl…'

The child was only four or five years old, with dirty blonde hair and crying brown eyes.

"Are you okay?" Cat asked softly, staying hidden in the shadows.

The girl started, curling up into a ball.

"D-Don't hurt m-me!"

Sympathy filled her eyes, and she moved to crouch eye-level before the girl.

"I won't hurt you. I promise. Kunoichi's Honor."

"Ku-Kune-Kunoa…"

"Kunoichi…Its female ninja…Do you need help?"

The little girl looked at her shadow, and reached out.

"Why are you hiding?"

"…'Cause I don't want to make you scream…"

A small hand grabbed her own, and traced her larger three-fingered hand.

"…Are you a monster?"

"No."

A smile brightened the girl's face.

"So I won't be scared."

With an easy smile, Cat slowly moved into the slight moonlight, and the girl gave her an amazed, curious look.

"Are you lost?"

"M-My daddy was taken by bad men…"

"Who?"

"They wore all black and had weird birdies on their shirts."

'Birds…Crows?'

Cat had heard a new gang had tried to grow in New York's dark alleys, but she didn't think they'd try kidnapping so soon in their 'career'…

"Well come on, then. What about your mom?"

"I don't have a mommy."

'…Like me…'

Feeling anger in her heart, her eyes hardened in determination.

"Come on. I'll help you get your dad back."

The girl smiled happily.

"Okay! I'm Angela!"

Cat grinned as she helped the girl onto her shell.

"You can call me Cat."

"Cat…Kitty!"

'She catches on fast…'

Climbing up a fire escape to a rooftop, she chose a safe, dark corner for them to talk.

"Okay…So where did these guys take your dad?"

"A weird apartment building."

Cat sat back, mind racing.

"…Is daddy okay?"

Smiling reassuringly, Cat nodded.

"I'm sure he's fine. I'll make sure of it."

Asking the young girl to lead her to this 'weird apartment building', she went to investigate, the youngster clinging to her shell.

Stopping on a rooftop in sight of their destination, Cat sat on the edge in order to study the place's security.

'They did pretty well for beginners…I'll need a disguise to get in…'

Seeing a group of women, in traditional Japanese kimonos and holding decorative fans, enter the building, Cat groaned.

'A kunoichi's specialty…Infiltration…'

She moved away from the edge.

'…I just don't like doing it and letting men grope me like a piece of meat…'

With a defeated sigh and a glance heavenward, she searched for the duffel bag she was SURE she'd left around there SOMEWHERE…

Finding it hidden under a network of pipes, she pulled the zipper open and pulled out the special kimono she'd hidden there.

It reached the floor when worn, shielding her feet from view, though she still needed to put on the wooden block sandals she'd also stored there.

The long, elegant sleeves fanned out over her hands, and the obi, or sash, around her waist was tightly done.

The kimono was a deep fire red, with white-rimmed sleeves and collar, along with a white obi and a white dragon design on the left side that began on the bottom and stopped shortly past the obi.

Pulling out a white fan with a red dragon on it, and removing her mask, she started the, to her, irritating task of applying the make up.

She'd never enjoyed the task, and avoided it when able, but she couldn't do that now…

Too bad…

Once that was done, she hid her blades behind her obi and pulled a veil over her head.

'Okay…I'm gonna hate this part…'

Telling Angela to go into the alley across the street and hide, she led her down to street-level before heading towards the door.

If you've EVER walked in wooden block sandals, it is VERY hard to walk…

You need perfect balance and concentration just to stay standing, but such things were taught to a kunoichi when they were still young.

The guards outside spotted her, and one smirked, elbowing his partner.

'…If he touches me…' She thought darkly, keeping the fan over the lower half of her face.

"Hey, baby. Whatcha here fer?"

Trying to walk past them and into the door, she froze when one grabbed her arm.

"Who'd ya come fer, beautiful?"

"…Your leader…"

"Oh…Why does Tamaki get all the fun?" The man whined, releasing her.

'Tamaki…'

She walked in, going down a side hallway and looking through the empty rooms.

'Prisoners-Prisoners-Prisoners…'

She stopped, seeing someone in a room surrounded by naked girls.

'…NOT a prisoner…' She thought quickly, walking faster.

As she kept looking, she found a large doorway, and looked through to see what looked like a make-shift throne, a boy of only eighteen or so sitting on it.

He seemed of Japanese decent, with black hair and eyes, and a crow tattooed on his neck.

'…Leader…'

She saw someone tied in the corner, and saw the similarities to Angela.

'Her father…'

Taking a deep breath in order to stay in control, she walked in.

The smirk on his face made her tense, but she kept moving.

"So you're here at last. Took you long enough."

'…Sorry, I'll kick your ass now…'

Tamaki sat up straighter, and looked a bit confused when she reached inside her obi.

"Getting something?"

She smirked behind her fan.

'If you only knew…'

With a flick of the wrist, one of her blades was in her hand and at his throat.

"Sorry, but I'm not here for that."

Putting her fan in her obi and pulling off the veil, she smirked.

"Too bad I'm here to stop your little 'gang'."

"…You're one of those turtles!"

"Great deductive skills, Holmes." She replied sarcastically.

Moving to the side, a kunai missed her head.

"Your men need lessons in aim."

Jumping back towards the corner Angela's father was tied in, she cut his ropes before pulling out her second blade.

"Run. Your daughter's outside." She ordered, and charged.

Perfectly balanced and fast, she defeated the men easily.

Not wanting to stay any longer now that the father had escaped, Cat beat her own silent retreat, and made sure Angela got home safely before heading home herself.

Flopping down on the recliner, she leaned her head back in exhaustion.

The eye shadow, red and silver above her eyes, was still there, but the white powder had been wiped off.

'I HATE these shoes…'

Her brothers came back, and she lifted her head.

"Hey, guys…"

"…Did you have a make up party while we were gone?" Mikey asked teasingly.

"No. You know I hate the stuff…But it was necessary…"

Raph smirked.

"Ya look nice, though. Why not dress like that more often?"

Cat stood up, shoes still in place.

"I'd like to see YOU guys fight in these shoes…Just SEEING that would make me feel better…"

She winced.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I think I've got splinters…"

Let's just say Raph followed her to her room that night…

'…I LOVE being a turtle…'


	35. Chapter 35

'I wonder if Raph and Leo are back from their run…'

'I wonder if Raph and Leo are back from their run…'

"BOO!!"

Cat turned uninterested violet eyes to her orange-banded brother.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"…You're no fun when you're meditating…" Mikey whined, pouting childishly.

In a flash, Mikey was tackled to the ground, a grinning Cat above him.

"Sorry, I'll be sure to fake surprise next time."

The front door opened, and Cat released Mikey in favor of greeting the newcomers.

"Hey, guys! Have a nice run?"

Leo didn't answer, he seemed so deep in thought he hardly registered that she was there.

"Leo?"

"He'll be 'kay. Just give 'im space."

Nodding hesitantly, Cat gave her blue-banded brother a worried look before following Raph.

"Are you sure he's okay?"

"Yep. He's just thinkin' too hard."

Making sure no one was watching, he kissed her cheek.

"Don't worry 'bout 'im, Kitten…"

Smiling, she returned the favor.

"I can't help it…He's my big brother…"

With a smirk, the red-banded turtle started trailing kisses up her neck.

"What 'bout me?"

"Well, you're my man…"

She placed a loving kiss on his forehead.

"So I guess I'm YOUR guardian angel…"

--

With a content air, Cat sat on the couch like a cat might lay in the warm sunlight.

'Cartoons-Cartoons-Cartoons-Drama-Soap Opera-Cartoons-Drama-Drama-Action-Thriller-Soap Opera-Concert-Sci Fi-CSI!!'

After all that channel-surfing, she'd finally found a good show.

"Is the news on?"

"Dunno…" Cat muttered, looking up at Leo with tired eyes.

"May I?"

With a shrug, Cat handed the remote to him, and he turned on the news.

Hearing the news of gang violence and hurt innocents, Cat straightened.

"Poor people…I don't see the point of this gang war…"

Leo seemed troubled by it as well, and soon turned off the TV.

"…Leo?" Cat asked worriedly.

He jumped up, trying to stab the center of a target, but he was a little off.

Master Splinter came to comfort him, and Cat sat back, listening in.

Raph and the others came to join in, and Cat felt the tension, standing.

"I can't do nothing! I can't!"

"Leo!"

Cat cut in front of him.

"I know it hurts…It hurts me, too…But you can't get involved…"

"Cat-."

"I'll go after you. And I'll go through heaven and hell if I have to save your shell because of this."

She took a deep breath.

"I don't want any of you guys hurt because of a stupid war…"

"Think of all those people, Cat! They're all getting hurt because of what WE did!"

She nearly flinched.

"I know…But…But I can't worry about that…"

"Well sorry that I can't turn off my heart like that…"

Her eyes hardened.

"I haven't! But who do you expect me to worry about more? My family or people I don't know? It hurts to know innocents are in the crossfire…But my thoughts need to stay on OUR safety, and you KNOW that!"

"…"

With an aggravated sigh, he walked past her and out the door.

'…I feel like hitting him…'

"Caterina, you must let him calm down…"

"But all of this is just so-!"

Cat nearly growled.

"This war is so stupid! Why can't someone just split up everything equally!"

She shook her head.

"Men."

"Even women are subject to greed, my daughter."

"Why are people so greedy, anyway?"

Cat's eyes narrowed.

"They already have everything they could possibly need, why wrestle with others for more?"

Raph put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"'Cause they don't realize what they have. We see it 'cause we don't have it."

"…WOW…Thanks…"

Mikey grinned.

"Hey, at least you've got me!"

"…Shoot me now…"

But the teasing note in her voice did not go unheard, and Mikey pouted.

"No fun!"

"Well, you're too easy to tease."

But Cat felt sure something bad was going to happen…

She was never wrong about this stuff, after all…

--

Seeing him about to fight all those Foot ninja…

It sent her protective instincts into overdrive, and she bolted forward.

"Aniki!"

She felt like a child trying to keep her big brother from leaving to war, and grabbed him around the shell, pulling him back in a hug.

"Cat?"

"Don't SCARE me like that!" Cat scolded.

"You've lost your mind, Leo!"

"This ain't our war." Raph added.

Foot ninja surrounded them, and they pulled out their weapons.

"…Looks like it's our war now…" Mikey noted.

"Yeah, just make sure you don't go down…" Cat warned, blades in a defensive position.

As usual, the Foot attacked as one, and the five turtles retaliated in kind.

Blocking a katana with one blade and a sai with the other, she did a split kick to hit both ninja in the faces.

Rolling, she dodged a Bo staff, and threw her blade.

It caught in the ninja's shoulder, and she pounced, knocking him onto his back before retrieving her blade and back-flipping off, kicking another ninja square in the chest with both feet.

"Any more takers? Oh, come on! Don't be chicken!"

A hurricane kick sent five flying back, and she locked blades with one wielding a katana.

Mikey was knocked down the hole in the roof, and Raph tackled the three responsible.

"RAPH!! MIKEY!!"

With a sweep kick, the ninja around her were knocked over, and she dove down the hole, pouncing on a ninja like a tiger.

"You guys need to learn-!"

Cat gave a ninja a vicious uppercut to an approaching Foot ninja.

"To stay away from holes in the floor!"

Leo and Don joined them, and Cat noted Don try his favorite action movie stunt…

"Don, for the love of God, NO!"

Cat jumped in when his shell hit the floor, and punched the closest ninja away.

"Don, when I say 'For the love of God, NO' I mean, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, _NO_!"

"SORRY…"

Whipping around, she delivered a powerful kick to two Foot ninja.

"You'd better be! I thought you were the smart one!"

The five were badly outnumbered, and were soon shell-to-shell.

"I don't mean to complain, but there sure are a lot of these dudes!"

"I agree with you, Mikey…" Cat muttered.

Something blasted through the wall before them, sending rocks flying.

Blocking them with her shell, she saw the red laser that also came through.

'…Uh oh…'

A laser came through, along with a strange four-legged, frog-like robot.

It shot at her, but she jumped over where it landed, grabbing hold of an overhead rafter.

With a pull, she was hidden in the shadows, watching as it shot lasers after the Foot ninja.

Seeing Leo jumped at it with both katana drawn, she tensed, until she saw both blades pierce the red eye that housed the red laser.

The robot sparked, and its shots went wild.

"Move, guys!"

Cat jumped down after a shot threatened to break the beam out from under her, and rolled away.

"Guys, I think he's gonna blow!"

Instead, something in the walls and supports blew, and everything started caving in.

'What now? I can't let them get hurt!'

Something burned in her, trying to escape through her skin.

'I can't let them die!'


	36. Chapter 36

The crackle of electricity seemed to ring in her ears, and she opened her eyes to see a dome of electricity surrounding her and her brothers

The crackle of electricity seemed to ring in her ears, and she opened her eyes to see a dome of electricity surrounding her and her brothers.

"…WHOA…" Mikey muttered.

"…You know, this isn't so bad…"

The electricity seemed to flux, and she winced.

"NOW it hurts!"

Don seemed surprised.

"How in the world-? That's not possible!"

"It is…Now, if none of you mind…RUN OUT OF HERE!"

"But, Kitten-!"

"I can't hold this up forever, guys. So it would be nice if you WEREN'T here when I drop this ton of debris."

Hesitantly, her brothers moved safely out over the stable debris outside, and Cat, holding her hands up in order to hold up the strange electricity shield, slowed her breathing.

'Okay, just drop it and run…'

Dropping her arms, she bolted towards the nearest escape route.

All her brothers saw was the debris fall…

"KITTY!! KITTY, ARE YOU OKAY!?" Mikey called, running forward with Raph.

Some of the rubble moved, and a large chunk flew off, showing something had hit it…HARD…

Cat pulled herself out, arms shaking.

"Damn rocks and their tripping power…" She mumbled.

"KITTY!!"

Mikey tackled her in his joy, and she winced.

'My ankle…'

"Mikey, get offa 'er!"

Raph pulled him off, and seemed worried when she pulled her ankle up to her chest in pain.

"Kitten?"

"My ankle…I think I twisted it up pretty bad back there…"

Leo and Don were there soon, and Don touched her ankle.

"OW-OW-OW-_OW_!! Stop TOUCHING it!!" Cat wailed, recoiling.

"Okay, okay! Calm down!" Don soothed.

Wrapping up the now-swelling joint, Raph helped the white-banded turtle to her feet.

She limped across the street with her brothers, trying not to put any weight on her left leg.

Raph was mad at Leo, who got mad at him, and THIS led to a noisy fight.

"Guys, stop fighting!" Cat pleaded.

Something was coming up through the debris behind the two arguing turtles.

'…Aw, shell…'

"What's that?"

It was the strange frog-like robot again, and it kept firing at them.

Cat jumped back when it fired, and fell back when white-hot pain flashed up her leg.

"OW!! …GUYS!!"

Rolling back on her shell, she dodged a laser.

A bus turned the corner, and the robot blasted up the front of it.

It careened, and Cat was on one leg already.

People ran out, but she heard someone's voice inside.

'Oh my God! Someone's in there!'

She was in pretty fast, pulling poles and pipes out of her way, and found a young man trapped under a sheet of metal.

"Wh-What are you?"

"A figment of your imagination." She lied quickly.

"You hit your head pretty hard."

Pulling off the metal, she helped him up, both supporting each other as they got out of the bus.

She made sure he was safe, when Raph lifted her up bridal style, bringing her to the barricade they'd made of rubble.

"Guys, I'd like to go HOME…'Cause my ankle is starting to burn…"

"Wait, guys! I think I know how to stop the robot!" Don stated.

"I just need to get to those down power lines!"

"Forget it!"

Raph went to the slightly-beat up bus, buckling into the driver's seat.

"Raphie, don't!!" Cat called, but her ankle…it hurt so much

The robot saw it coming, and shot.

Cat saw oil coming out, or gasoline, and then the bus was tipped over, skidding.

"RAPH!!"

The bus stopped when the front hit a building, and Leo ran to help him.

The robot blasted the oil, setting it on fire, as the two were in there.

"Oh, no!"

Mikey held her back.

"You won't make it in time, sis! Not with that ankle!"

"B-But-!"

'Raphie…'

"GUYS!! GET OUT OF THERE!!"

The two were lucky to get out of there before the large vehicle exploded, and Cat tried to move closer.

Mikey herded the robot into a stream of water, and Don shocked it with the down telephone wires.

With a screech of pain, it fell over.

The Foot turned on Mikey at that moment, and Cat ignored the pain in her ankle in order to follow him and make sure he didn't get hurt.

Jumping onto a rooftop, she kicked a Foot ninja down into an alley.

"Stay away from my little brother, lame brains!"

She followed her brother.

"Hey, bro! Nice run, huh?"

"Isn't your ankle killing you?"

"Hey, you're in trouble!"

She winced only slightly.

"Can't sit back and let someone else beat you up, now can I?"

Mikey seemed to like throwing things back, but Cat would only throw shuriken when she was sure she couldn't be caught in a fist fight.

They jumped down into an alley, immediately hiding.

Hiding on clotheslines, Cat started nursing her injured ankle.

Once the Foot were out of sight, she dropped soundlessly to the floor.

'My ankle is KILLING me…'

She started limping again, worse than before, and Mikey's smile fell.

'Did I get her hurt more?'

They headed to April's new place, and Cat smacked her forehead when Mikey scared their poor friend to death.

"April, I need a hand…Or maybe a crutch…A crutch would be better…"

"What happened to you?!"

"Collapsing building."

"Yeah! We were being chased by Foot ninja-!"

"Whoa-Whoa! Are you telling me that you ran in here-My new, completely fixed up after it was blown up and burned to the ground by Foot ninja shop-Because you were being chased by Foot ninja!?"

Cat smiled sheepishly.

"Hey, I'm injured! I put my brainpower into not crying! Talk to Mikey!"

Mikey smacked his forehead.

"DOH!"

Casey seemed eager to come and help, so, with some 'persuasion', they took April's mode of transportation.

They drove back, and saw their other brothers being rained on by bullets and the occasional rockets.

"Get your shells in here!" She ordered when Mikey opened the door.

A rocket came at them, but the van moved out of the way in time.

Rockets kept coming, but Casey outmaneuvered them.

They soon drove and were hiding in an empty water tower.

Leo and Raph almost immediately started fighting, and Cat laid down on the hammock that was there and rubbed her badly swollen ankle.

"Has it gotten worse, Donnie?"

"It's probably a sprain now. You shouldn't have run on it."

"There are some things a sister needs to do, bro." Cat replied, patting Mikey's head.

As Raph was about to walk out, the floor blew up, and Cat was thrown out of the hammock.

"I'm too injured for this!" She whined.

She landed on her right foot, perfectly balanced, when she noticed the two strange Foot ninja before her.

A kunoichi landed before them, katana drawn.

"I believe we have a few matters to discuss. My name is Karai, and I have come to restore order to the Foot."

"So you're a Foot ninja? GREAT…" Cat griped, drawing her blades.

As always, Raph did the opposite of what Leo ordered, and Karai used a weight and chain to knock his sai out of his hands and knock him on his shell.

Karai was coming down on him, katana raised, but Cat was there in a moment with a protective snarl, blocking it.

It was a test of strength now, and Cat forced her opponent to roll back.

Her two body guards charged, and beat down Don, Mikey, and Casey.

Leo fought with Karai as Cat focused her mind and pushed away the pain.

'Come on! My brothers need me!'

Her fists crackled with electricity, and she jumped up.

A swift punch, and one flew into a wall.

With movements almost too fast to see, she beat up the other in a series of punches and kicks that soon sent him back.

"…Coolest sister EVER…"

"…I agree with you on that one, Mikey…" Don agreed.

Leo seemed to have done rather well against Karai, when she kicked him back and held him under her foot, a katana in hand.

"Why you…" Cat seethed, nearly baring her teeth in a savage snarl.

"I came here to discuss a matter with you, and discuss it I shall, with or WITHOUT your leader. It is your choice."

'You are SO going down…'


	37. Chapter 37

"Drop your weapons

"Drop your weapons."

After a moment of steely defiance, Cat complied.

Mikey, Don, and Casey followed suit, but Raph seemed ready for a fight.

"Raphie, calm down…" Cat soothed gently, lightly touching his wrist.

"…Drop your sai…"

If it wasn't for the fact that he loved her, Raph would've disregarded her slight order.

But that wasn't the case…

And she was hurt bad enough as it was…

He threw his sai, point-first, into the concrete, and Cat relaxed.

"Okay, we'll talk." Cat conceded.

"But you'd better move your tanto out of my brother's face before I go over there and make you…"

Karai saw the threat in the turtle's eyes, if not her tone, and obeyed.

Leo jumped to his feet, and Raph took the chance to attack.

Leo blocked the sai with a katana, and the white-banded turtle pulled him back.

"Raph, don't! I gave her my word of honor!"

Now, Raph might fight with Leo about his honor, and throw it in his older brother's face, but he couldn't do that with Cat.

Her own honor was fragile, with fate and chance deciding if it would shatter.

He already promised to protect her from them, make sure she comes out whole, and he couldn't break it in order to turn around and shatter her like a glass figurine.

Though Cat often looked tough, she was as breakable as Mikey was innocent.

Grudgingly, Raph lowered his weapons.

Karai said she was from the Japanese faction of the Foot, and had come to restore order to New York.

She had a plan, of course, but wanted them there as a 'Plan B'.

In return, the vendetta against them would be lifted, and New York would be saved.

"I say we do it." Leo stated in the huddle the six formed.

Mikey and Don seemed uncomfortable with the idea, but agreed, while Raph completely rejected the thought.

"…It might be the only way…"

Raph shot Cat a nearly betrayed look.

"Kitten!"

"But think about it! The Foot would leave us alone, and we'd stop the gang war!"

"It isn't our war!"

"I know that! But these four are going!"

She gestured to the others.

"And I can't let them get killed!"

With a heated glare, Raph left with hardly a backwards glance, and Cat sighed.

"Hothead…"

So they agreed to help Karai, and were soon waiting in the destroyed remains of the Foot Headquarters.

When Karai came back, disguised as the Shredder, they hid in the rafters.

As Hun, leading the Purple Dragons, the Mob, and the Foot arrived, Cat felt worry fill her gut.

She was restricted from fighting unless absolutely necessary because of her ankle, but…

'What if they're too much for these four to handle? What if I can't save them?'

It seemed some of the Purple Dragons turned on Hun and the 'Shredder', and a fight broke out.

With the Purple Dragons turning against each other and the Mob attacking them and the Foot, who protected their 'leader', Cat hardly saw through the rain of bullets.

'Maybe Karai's plan will actually work…'

When the fighting quieted, Cat relaxed against a beam…

Until a strange grenade went off…

Cat nearly fell off the beam, and Karai was knocked back, the Shredder's helmet flying off her head.

The Foot and Hun felt particularly betrayed, and attacked with a new vigor while the Mob beat a hasty retreat and the Purple Dragons stayed moaning on the ground.

So her three brothers and Casey jumped down to help Karai and her two henchmen fight off the masses.

They were outnumbered and out-weaponed, and Hun raised his rocket launcher to blast them to pieces.

'NO!'

Cat jumped down as the rocket was blasted from its holder, and caught it with her right hand, her arm getting pulled back from the force.

"Hey, Hun!"

Her eyes hardened as she braced herself, already in the action of throwing the explosive.

"CATCH!!"

Pain flared up her left leg after the rocket was racing towards it new target, and she fell to one knee.

"Kitty…" Mikey muttered, looking worried.

Smoke pellets went off, and three Foot ninja went down in the barrier.

Taking the opportunity offered, Cat threw a shuriken, which impaled Hun's rocket launcher.

After it blew up, sending its holder back, Raph walked out of the smoke.

"Raph!"

Cat would've stood, but her ankle hurt more when the mere thought of movement entered her head.

It seemed the red-banded turtle had taken time to calm down and realize how stupid he'd been.

"You figured that out on your own?" Mikey asked jokingly.

"I had some help on THAT one…"

Splinter jumped out of the thinning smoke, kicking a Foot ninja down.

"My children! I was worried we wouldn't make it in time!"

"Sensei!"

Cat rolled away as Hun swung a large beam.

"Hey! Respect the injured!"

Cat ducked below another swing.

"Fine! Be a jerk!"

She caught the beam with both hands, and pulled it from his large hands.

With a powerful swing, Hun was smacked through the wall, and Cat dropped the beam, falling back on her shell.

Chest heaving, she tried to control the pain as the Foot ninja were subdued.

After Karai showed her authority and dominance over the Foot Elite, she thanked the turtles for their help.

"You are all great ninja. I hope the next time we meet, it will not be as enemies."

Cat, being held in a bridal style by Raph, caught something hidden under those words…

Karai left, and they decided to go home.

Cat didn't mind being carried home…

After all, she enjoyed being lulled to sleep by the steady beat of Raph's heart…


	38. Chapter 38

"…Donnie…My leg's not broken…You don't need to put a cast on…" Cat noted, pulling her injured ankle away from her worried, intelligent brother

"…Donnie…My leg's not broken…You don't need to put a cast on…" Cat noted, pulling her injured ankle away from her worried, intelligent brother.

"But-!"

"Just wrap it up good, bro…It'll be fine…And do I REALLY need a wheelchair?"

"Don't want you running around again, now do we?"

"…At least it can hover…" Cat muttered as her purple-banded brother wrapped up her ankle.

After that, he happily wheeled her to whatever he wanted to show his family, and revealed what looked like a strange submarine.

"…NICE…"

Cat whistled.

"Shell Sub? …Everything has the word 'shell' in it, doesn't it?"

"Now that the underwater access way is complete, it's time for the Shell Sub's maiden voyage!"

"Can I launch her? Can I-Can I-Can I?" Mikey asked.

"Be careful, Mikey! If you put ONE scratch on her-!"

The sub was dropped into the water, and Cat was lucky enough to roll out of the way of the splash that followed.

"…NICE ONE…"

"…Oops?"

But he was too psyched about going in it, and Cat sighed.

"I'm going…Can't leave Mikey near technology unsupervised…"

Making the wheelchair hover, she landed it in the cockpit.

"Mikey!"

SMACK!

"OW!"

"Don't touch anything!"

Don came in, and started the sub.

Once the rope holding the sub was released, they dove.

Going through a tunnel, they soon came out into the Hudson River.

"…COOL…" Cat muttered.

They went deeper into the river, and Cat watched the scenery change.

"…Lot of trash down here, huh?"

They found an old whaler there, and a beeping, blinking light came up on a screen.

Then, a strange…garbage truck?...was seen on the ocean floor, dragging something with it.

"…It's a CAR…" Don muttered.

"…Um…What's a CAR doing at the bottom of the river?"

"…About twenty miles an hour…" Cat noted.

She looked around, studying her surroundings.

'Trash-Trash-Trash-Trash-Water-Trash-Trash-Trash-Trash…what's that?'

It was a sunken ship, and the car seemed to hover, and used metal arms to rip off bits and pieces.

"It's salvaging parts…" Don noticed, surprised.

"…I take it cars aren't supposed to do that…" Cat muttered.

"Let's check it out." Don stated, and they began following the strange car.

'It looks vaguely familiar…' Cat mused.

The car moved down a ravine, and they moved across the cliff above it.

It joined a line of cars just like it.

"Figures that New York has a traffic problem, even at the BOTTOM of the river!" Mikey stated, and Cat smiled slightly at the joke.

'Yeah…figures…'

"But where are they all-? …Whoa…"

Hearing Don cut himself off, Cat followed his gaze.

"…WHOA…"

"…You don't suppose that could be Atlantis…would you, Donnie?" Mikey asked.

"Atlantis is supposed to be a myth…and even if it isn't, I don't think it'd be a suburb of New York."

The strange dome had patches missing, where a green light came out.

A door opened, letting in the cars, and Cat and Mikey looked closer.

"That's not Atlantis…" Cat muttered.

"It's Junklantis…" Mikey finished.

"Maybe we should back off, Donnie…I'm getting the creeps…" Cat suggested, shivering.

Mikey looked to the right.

"Well, it's about to get a whole lot creepier!"

A large metal tentacle grabbed the Shell Sub, and pulled them towards a strange metal creature.

Cat's wheelchair moved back with the force, and it smacked into a wall.

The Shell Sub was being drawn to a large, tooth-edged, oval-shaped mouth.

As the teeth closed, the wheelchair banged against the wall, sending pain flaring up her ankle.

"OW!!"

It was dark except for the sub's headlights.

"…Okay, this is OFFICIALLY one of the creepiest experiences of my life!" Mikey wailed as Cat rubbed her lower calf.

"I agree…but here's something important…WHERE THE SHELL ARE WE?!"

The Shell Sub moved forward, and floated up to the surface of a small body of water.

"Donnie, are you sure you should be driving around in here?" She asked.

A door opened, showing the silhouettes of men holding strange spears.

"…See?"

"Well…let's go…" Don stated, and Mikey opened the door on the side.

'And face those guys? …Crazy brothers…'

She wheeled over after Don climbed out, and carefully hovered herself out.

A line of maybe ten men in what looked like bumblebee scuba suits and oxygen masks, held up spears that sparked electricity at the tip.

"We come in peace?" Don greeted.

The glaring light didn't dwindle.

"'We come in peace'? Man, I really wish we'd brought our weapons…" Mikey whispered.

"So…it sure is wet out, huh?"

Cat rolled her eyes.

'And I'm stuck with him for an indefinite amount of time. Oh lord, why me?'

They were soon escorted out of the strange robot, Cat now limping along because the wheelchair had run out of batteries…

She'd smacked Don with his Bo for that…

"Shouldn't we be trying to bust outta here?" Mikey whispered.

"Not yet, Mikey. We don't even know where we are." Don reasoned in a soft voice.

A spear sparked behind them, and Cat tensed when he pushed her brothers forward by their shells.

'NO ONE…pushes my little brothers…'

She smirked inwardly.

'And takes back a hand in the end, at least…'

The activity on the mounds of trash to their left gave loud background noise as the walked down the wooden platform.

"This stuff is amazing…" Don muttered.

Cat didn't really hear, putting all her effort towards hiding the pain and walking at the same time.

The guards suddenly stopped, and she did as well, just barely avoiding a collision, though Mikey wasn't as observant.

'Okay…we're on a hill of…trash…sloped angle…walkway…and what the shell is that?'

"Which one of you is wearing the 'Ode de Fish'? It's kinda nasty…"

She rolled her eyes at her youngest brother's antics.

Before them were a bunch of screens, and a shadowed figure turned to them.

'It doesn't look human…at least…not completely…'

The figure came into the light…

"You!"

Cat covered her sensitive nose from the smell.

"The Garbage Man? AGAIN? Why is it that whenever I'm hurt he shows up?"

"But he went into the river!"

Mikey looked around.

"…In THIS river…"

"Yes. THIS river. MY river."

Cat rolled her eyes, hands still over her nose.

"Can't really own moving water, tubby…"

"What is all this?" Don demanded.

"Silence!"

The spears touched their shells, and Mikey and Don fell to their knees from the shock of it.

Cat stayed standing, hardly feeling any pain, until a spear hit her injured ankle roughly.

With a sharp cry of pain, she fell forward, landing on her side as she clutched at her knee.

"First rule, my friends…I talk, you listen…"

"Here's MY first rule, fatso. Mess with my family again and you'll have a foot so far up your ass you'll get a nosebleed!"

A claw descended, grabbing her shell.

"And how are you going to accomplish that, little girl?"

A fire started in her eyes.

"You'll see that when it happens…"

Two more claws picked up Mikey and Don by their shells as well.

"I should thank you turtles for setting me on this path…Dumping me into this river opened my eyes to a whole new world of parts just waiting to be salvaged."

He smiled.

"So thank you…"

"You're not welcome." Don retorted.

"I have a suggestion…could you say it, not spray it? I just took a shower…"

The large man chuckled.

"I'm actually glad that you're here. I've often wondered WHAT you are, and now I can find out!"

"…Donnie, can he do that?"

"I wouldn't know, Kitty…"

A man came out into the open behind the Garbage Man.

"Our target has come into range!"

"Perfect!"

The three turtles were dropped.

"…Ow…"

"Everything is on schedule. Take these three and hold them in the brig. I want to dissect them later."

His evil laughter made her want to cover her ears.

"Make sure they're 'comfortable'…And make sure the female is ready…I have something special in mind for HER…"

'Do your worst…' Cat dared with her eyes as she was hefted to her feet.

They were led to the small, rickety cell, and Cat stopped.

"Guys, I think it's time we did what we talked about earlier…" Don hinted.

"Sounds good to me!" Mikey agreed, throwing one guard over his shoulder.

Cat punched the second, sending him, unconscious, into a wall as Don used the metal bar door to smack the another in the face.

Mikey had two against him, their spears sparking.

He ducked, and they actually shocked each other.

Cat snorted.

"Idiots…"

Three were stripped of their gear and left with the others in the cells, so the three turtles could disguise themselves.

"Aren't your breasts too big for jump-trooper?"

SMACK!!

"OW!!"

"Don't start, Mikey."

"Come on. Let's get out of this madhouse." Don stated.

They were soon in the main room again, listening to Garbage Man's speech.

Stating his plans, Cat stiffened.

'A cruise ship…all those innocent people…'

"No one can stop us!"

The crowd cheered, and Cat leaned off her injured ankle a bit more.

'Not if WE have anything to say about it, fatso…'

Hiding in the group of guards heading into the ship, they tried to walk calmly.

Cat was having the slightest problem hiding her limp.

"Hey, there's the Shell Sub! Let's get it and get outta here!" Mikey whispered.

"But we have to stop the Garbage Man from sinking that cruise ship." Don retorted.

Cat sighed.

"Come on, you two…"

The Garbage Man's voice was heard over the intercom.

"Brace for impact!"

"We'd better make our move!" Cat noted softly.

"Right. NOW!"

Cat grabbed a guard to her left, and threw him at a group of three like a bowling ball.

"STRIKE!"

Her brother's seemed to be doing just as good, and three pulled off their disguises, jumping up and kicking a few men down.

More men came as Cat accidentally kicked with her injured ankle.

"OW!! Ow-Ow-Ow-Ow-OW!!"

She started hopping around on one foot, whimpering in pain.

Some men came at her.

A powerful punch sent at least two flying.

She followed her brothers into the stairwell that the guards had come from, and followed them up the stairs.

"I wish that frickin' wheelchair hadn't run out of batteries, DONNIE…"

"I forgot to charge it! Sorry!"

They were soon on the bridge, Cat getting used to hopping around on one foot.

"We've got to turn this thing around! Now!" Don stated.

"Somehow, I think that's gonna be a LOT harder than it sounds!" Mikey replied.

The guards came at them.

"Get this trash off my bridge!" The Garbage Man ordered.

"But I thought you LIKED trash!" Cat teased, jumping up and giving three men a powerful hurricane kick.

"You freaks! This time, you won't escape me!"

His claws went out, grabbing Don and Cat around the waist and lifting them into the air.

With a snarl, Cat struggled.

"Mikey! The oxygen tanks!" Don ordered.

"Got it!"

Mikey went under Garbage Man with an oxygen tank, and broke off the cap, sending the fat man into the air.

When he hit the ceiling, Cat broke the claw holding her, flipping and landing on her foot.

Don was released when Garbage Man landed, falling unconscious.

The purple-banded turtle went to the controls, trying to find a way to turn the metal monstrosity around.

"Accelerate at something else! We're about to hit that ship!" Mikey yelled.

'What are we gonna do?' Cat thought, staying as calm as possible.

Suddenly, with Don messing with the controls, the strange contraption shook, swimming by the cruise ship and jumping into the air like a dolphin.

Cat fell on her butt, and rubbed her shell.

"Okay, that's good…Now how do we stop it?"

Don stood up.

"I've got a better idea. Why not take out two birds with one stone?"

Cat watched as her brothers messed with the controls.

"Don't do anything stupid…" She warned.

The contraption started heading for 'Junklantis', and Cat stood up.

"WATCH OUT!"

The two turtles dodged the Garbage Man's claw, which stuck in the controls.

"Leave them alone, you fat jerk!" She warned, jumping up and grabbing a claw.

With a tug, it sparked, and two more claws kept attacking her brothers, striking the controls.

He got shocked, and Cat released him as the sparks raised into her palms, being absorbed into her skin.

"To the Shell Sub! Boy Wonder! Bat Girl!"

SMACK!!

"OW!! Kitty!!"

"Come on, geek knight!"

Stumbling down the stairs, they reached the Shell Sub.

"Mikey, open the doors while I get the Shell Sub powered up!" Don ordered as him and Cat swung in.

"…Donnie…why isn't it starting?"

Mikey swung in with some water.

"Hurry up!"

"I can't get the engine to start!" Don replied.

"Donnie, we're gonna hit it!" Cat shouted, grabbing hold of a seat.

"Come on…Come on…" Don muttered.

The engine sputtered to life.

"Yes! Hold on!"

The Shell Sub submerged, heading for the engine.

They got out before it crashed, and Cat breathed a sigh of relief.

That's when the force hit them…

"AH!!"

Cat's chest hit the chest one moment, and then her shell smashed into a wall.

Suddenly, the turbulence was gone.

"…Thank you, lord…Thank you for watching out for me today…You finally understand that I'm just here to protect my adventurous, naïve little brothers…"

"HEY…" Mikey whined, pouting.

Something hit the back of the Shell Sub, rocking them and letting a steady drip of water in.

"…You're testing me, aren't you lord?"

"It's the Garbage Man!" Don stated, steadying the sub.

"That guy doesn't know when to quit!" Mikey complained.

"We beat him once, guys. We can do it again." Cat assured, standing up.

The underwater maneuvering was lost on Cat as she tried to stay steady and keep her lunch down, but she heard Don's next order.

"Deploying depth charges."

"We have depth charges?" Mikey questioned.

"COOL…"

After the explosions, and some more maneuvering, Cat felt the ringing leave her ears.

"Hang on! Arming torpedoes!"

The Garbage Man charged at them.

"Setting detonation at ten yards!"

Something grabbed the Shell Sub.

"DONNIE!!"

"Firing torpedoes!"

The torpedoes went behind the other sub, exploding the back and making him release them.

The other sub fell down into a deep gulch, and Cat fell back on her shell in exhaustion.

"…He'd better be finished, or someone's getting hurt…"

They got home, surfacing again, and Cat pushed off the top, pulling herself out.

"It's about time you guys surfaced. We were getting worried." Leo stated.

Raph caught an exhausted Cat before noticing the claws still attached to the Shell Sub.

"What happened?"

Cat sighed, cuddling against him.

"A long story, Raphie…A long, tiring story…"


	39. Chapter 39

"…I can't believe they actually went to watch that stupid game…" Cat muttered, sitting in April's apartment watching a 'Chick Flick'

"…I can't believe they actually went to watch that stupid game…" Cat muttered, sitting in April's apartment watching a 'Chick Flick'.

"I can't believe they'd enjoy such a brutish, immature, violent sport." April agreed.

"Don was dragged along…Mikey probably went for the snacks…"

Cat giggled.

"Aw, but they can be sweet. Their my brothers, after all. It's Casey I'm not so sure about…"

April smiled, shaking the bottle of nail polish.

Since this would be Cat's first 'Girl's Night', April was happy to give her the full treatment.

Cat sat back, popping another chocolate into her mouth.

"Sometimes, it's nice to be away from the boys for a while…away from all those responsibilities…"

"What kind of responsibilities?" April asked casually, applying a coat of nail polish.

"I'm the one that makes sure Mikey's goes to bed, Don doesn't stay up all night inventing, makes sure Leo doesn't over do it, makes sure Raph doesn't get his shell handed to him topside, and a whole assortment of other things…"

She sat up straight.

'Someone's nearby…'

"Cat?"

"Sh…"

The white-banded turtle stood up, looking over into an alley.

'What's that darn noise?' She thought, concentrating on the shadows.

'And why do I feel like Casey's done something stupid?'

"Cat, is something out there?"

"I think…"

There it was again.

Something moving through the trash.

"I'll be right back." She promised, jumping over the sill and falling silently into the shadows.

She looked around, and a white shape slid behind a trash can to her right.

Carefully, Cat looked around said obstruction, and relaxed.

A little white kitten, long fur dirty with things Cat wouldn't want to think of, looked at her with wide violet eyes.

"Hey, little one…what are you doing back here?" She asked in a soft voice.

The kitten meowed cutely, and rubbed its little head on her hand with a soft purr.

"Awww…poor thing…you must be lost…"

Carefully lifting the little kitten, she scaled the wall back up to April's apartment.

"Hey. What was the problem?"

"Nothing. Just this little one." Cat answered, showing the shivering kitten in her arms.

"Awww…The poor thing! It must be freezing!"

April gathered some warm blankets, making a nest, and Cat settled the little kitten in.

As it purred, Cat smiled.

"Cute little girl seems warm now…"

"She needs a warm bath and warm milk…I'll get the bath running."

Cat nodded, gently scratching the kitten's chin as her friend headed for the bathroom.

"It'll be hard to take care of you if I don't know your name…so I'll just have to name you, won't I?"

The meow she received sounding like an affirmative.

"Let's see…"

A smile spread across her face.

"How about Yuki? It means 'snow' in Japanese."

A warm meow, accompanied by a purr, caused her to laugh softly.

"Alright, then. Yuki it is."

"The baths ready!"

"Coming, April!"

Cradling the young feline, she headed into the bathroom, putting Yuki in the warm water.

The cat resisted at first, but eventually let the two wash the dirt and grime from her fur.

"There you go, Yuki…doesn't that feel better…"

April didn't remember having seen Cat look so gentle, careful, as if caring for a child.

After drying off the little kitten and feeding her some warm milk, Yuki purred and meowed in content, staying in Cat's warm arms as the two kept watching their movies.

'…Why do I feel like Casey's doing something REALLY stupid right now?'

Someone knocked on the back door, and April got up to answer it.

"Call if you need me." Cat joked.

"Got it."

Cat heard the door open, and jumped when she heard April cry out.

'APRIL!!'

Jumping up, she felt Yuki cuddle against her chest and shake in fear as she ran silently down, her free hand on her blade.

She saw some gangsters, wearing dark green jackets with black four leaf clovers on the back, coming into the shop, a large one holding April suspended in the air.

"Where's that little white rat?!" One asked forcefully.

With the stealth of a kunoichi, Cat ducked behind the large man holding April.

In a flash, she'd jumped up, using the heels of her feet to smack into his temples and release her friend.

Taking out one of her blades, she blocked a pipe and did a hurricane kick.

The gang members stayed back, and she smirked.

"What? You can take on someone who can't defend themselves, but once someone beats up a few of you, you scatter like cockroaches? Man, grow some balls!"

"Hey! She's got the rat!"

Cat quirked an eye-ridge, looking at Yuki.

"…First of all…She's a CAT…which HUNTS rats…so what you just said is probably one of the top ten stupidest things I've ever heard…"

She adjusted Yuki in her arms, who meowed and purred.

"And what did this little cutie do to piss off you 'big bad men'?"

"She ate a computer chip! And then ran out and from us!"

Silence…

Before Cat nearly fell over in laughter…

"You can't be serious!! You're telling me that she OUTSMARTED you?!"

She stopped a moment to look at them.

"…Then again, that might not be too far-fetched…"

April stood up behind her, and Cat handed her the kitten.

"Run back upstairs and hide." Cat ordered in a soft voice.

"I can take care of these guys…It's a good thing my ankle healed, huh?"

April nodded, backing up towards the stairs as Cat pulled out her other blade.

"So, whose first?"

Ten charged at once.

"I thought so…"

She blocked a lead pipe and kicked the offender in the chest before ducking low under a punch and knocking five men off their feet.

She saw some heading for the stairs, and jumped in front of them.

She clicked her tongue.

"You should know better than to run out on a perfectly great party…"

A few well-placed punches sent them flying.

"Come on! We're not gonna hurt the little thing!"

One smirked.

"We're just gonna cut 'er open an' rip out the chip!"

"Hey, Captain Retard! That would kill her!!"

With a jump, she hit two with a split kick, and landed on her hands.

With a flick of the wrists, she was on her shell, spinning like a top and knocking down even more gangsters.

She flipped onto her feet, and jumped up onto the ceiling.

"You'd better get out of here before I decide to beat you up even worse."

Sparks spread from her hands to the ceiling.

"Make us!"

She smirked.

"You asked for it…"

Electricity coursed through her veins, showing through her skin and lighting up the shadows.

Jumping down, the electricity raced through the floor, shocking them.

She put a hand on her hip, and smiled.

"Well, that's that!"

She pulled the gangsters into an alley a few blocks away, and came back in through April's window.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, Cat. Thanks."

Relieving her human friend of a struggling, protesting Yuki, she smiled.

"At least our night wasn't BORING…"

"You've got THAT right…"

Settling down, they started eating some more chocolate when the guys got back.

"Hey, guys." Cat greeted.

"Ya wouldn't BELIEVE what we did tonight!" Casey started, seeming hyped.

The four turtles tried to stop him, but he rambled out EXACTLY what they'd done.

By the time he was done, Cat's eye had started twitching.

"…What in your right minds made you follow CASEY'S plan!!"

"…Lack of another?" Leo tried.

"…THAT'S NO EXCUSE!!"

Mikey sighed.

"Guys, let the master handle this…"

Cat stood up, hand on her hip and Yuki cradled in her other arm.

"Look, some leaches came from outer space and-."

"I'm not going to listen to your bull crap, Mikey…"

His mind raced.

"Hey, where'd the kitten come from?"

"I found her, and NO, you're not distracting me."

"But-!"

"NO!"

Raph smirked.

"So what was with the battlefield downstairs?"

"…What battlefield? I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Yer gettin' awfully defensive, Kitten…"

"No I'm not!"

"…What did ya do, Kitten?"

"Nothing! Man, what's with the third degree?"

"…Cat, what happened?" Leo asked, using his 'Leader Voice'.

April decided to explain, saying the Cat had found the little kitten in the snow and had saved her, given her a warm bath and fed her, and then the gang had come to basically rip something from the kitten's stomach.

"…So ya beat 'em up fer a little cat?"

Cat pouted, holding up Yuki.

"Would you let them kill this cute little baby, Raphie?"

"…"

She saw his wall start cracking, and Yuki meowed cutely.

"…She's so CUTE!!" Mikey exclaimed, hugging the little feline.

"Can we keep her? Can we-Can we-Can we?"

Leo and Don looked doubtful, but the combined powers of Cat and Mikey's Chibi Turtle Eyes made them crack.

"Oh, alright…but Cat has to take of her!" Leo conceded.

"Of course!" Cat agreed, hugging Yuki to her chest.

Raph rolled his eyes.

"That cat better not get into my room!"

Cat smiled.

"Okay. I won't." She joked, elbowing him.

"Ha-Ha…VERY funny…"


	40. Chapter 40

"WHOA

"WHOA!!"

The vehicle sped ahead to join Raph, and Cat grinned.

"That as fast as you can go, tough guy?"

Something was illuminated by their headlights, and Cat hit the brakes.

"What the…?"

"Guys, what with the hold up-?"

Mikey cut himself off.

"Whoa…A Triceraton?"

"It can't be!" Raph stated.

Cat jumped off her ride, pulling out her blades.

"How'd he get here?"

"You guys don't think it's an invasion, do you?" Mikey asked uncertainly.

'…I don't know…'

The Triceraton actually started beating up Don's, and they watched in amazement.

"…Um…is he okay?" Cat asked.

The Triceraton seemed to be gasping and choking for air, and Don realized what was wrong.

"His breather mask is cracked. He's breathing our air, and it's affecting his brain. The Triceraton home world's atmosphere is a mixture of nitrogen and sulphur, remember?"

"…So…he's delusional?" Cat asked.

"Yep."

Well, the delusional Triceraton believed their were high-ranking officers…

"…Anybody have a plan?" Cat questioned, looking around.

"I say we should have a plan where he won't rip us limb from limb!" Mikey suggested.

"I agree with you there…"

"At ease, soldier."

"Leo, don't do something stupid…" Cat warned.

"Mission report, soldier."

"Mission incomplete, sir."

"And what mission would that be?"

"Capture the Fugitoid at all costs. My squad was pursuing the target when we were caught in energy beam. And were transported to coordinates unfamiliar to this soldier. Engaged Federation forces also after the Fugitoid. In the heat of battle, I was separated from my unit. Target was not captured, and I was unable to regroup with my squad. And I lost my weapon, sir."

He breathed deeply again.

"Request permission to terminate self for disgraceful failure on mission, sir."

Cat looked at Leo worriedly.

'He may be a bad guy, but he shouldn't kill himself!'

Leo tried to stop the Triceraton by telling him the mission had been a success, but the Triceraton's breathing only got worse.

"He's breathing poison. Maybe I can make a temporary breathing mask from one of the nitrogen tanks on the Shell Sled." Don stated.

"But if he goes back to normal, he'll try ta wipe us out!" Raph retorted.

"We can't just turn our shells on him. That's not right." Cat interjected, looking stubborn.

Don got the mask, and put it on the poor Triceraton.

"My children! My children!"

"Master Splinter!"

Cat ran to support her father.

"An intruder…in our lair…I was attacked…you must take me back…defend our home…"

Cat fell over when he suddenly went limp, but she made sure he landed on her rather than in the sewer water.

"Master Splinter!"

Her heart slammed against her plastron.

"Donnie, he's hardly breathing!"

The others ran up, helping him up.

"He's cold…" Don noted.

"What do we do?" Mikey asked worriedly.

"We do as we're told. We're going back to the lair, and-."

"I'm gonna beat the shell out 'a whoever did this ta Master Splinter!" Raph cut in, stopping his oldest brother.

"But what about him? We can't just leave him here." Cat stated, gesturing to the Triceraton.

"Then bring him! Just hurry!" Leo replied, Master Splinter on his Shell Sled.

Don jumped on with Raph as Cat turned to the Triceraton.

"Follow us, soldier."

"Yes, ma'am."

Cat jumped on her own, and the engine roared to life as they raced down the tunnel, the Triceraton following behind them.

They stopped though, when headlights seemed to fall on…

"Master Splinter?" Cat asked, looking confused.

"But…?"

"Put him down. Now."

Cat jumped off, looking at both Splinter's.

'Wait…he doesn't have a life force…'

"Leo! Put him down!"

"But-."

"DO IT!"

Suddenly, the one on Leo's Shell Sled hit Don and Raph over, his eyes glowing red.

"Donnie! Raphie!"

The Triceraton helped her pick them up as Master Splinter fought this strange copy.

He was kicked rather hard to the floor, and Cat pulled out her weapons.

"You little copy-cat!"

The copy seemed to be beating the boys up pretty bad, but she could block his strikes rather well.

Grabbing his fist, she felt her muscles nearly spasm with the tension needed to hold it from her chest, and punched it in the chest.

It flew back, and she cracked the joints in her arms.

"Bring it!"

She ducked below a fist, and jumped back from a kick.

'How to stop a robot…'

She grinned.

'I know how…'

Her hands sparked when, suddenly, the Triceraton smacked the robot into a sewer wall, some of his skin and robes torn to show the robotics parts beneath it.

MAN, did that Triceraton beat the crap out of that robot!

"At ease, soldier! Mission accomplished!" Leo stated, stopping the Triceraton from completely destroying the shutting down robot.

"Who is that robot? Who made it? Why?"

Cat glared at the sparking remains.

"I don't care. Whoever did it is going to get a nice beating when I find them! No one attacks MY family and gets away with it!"

"I agree with you, Caterina. I will not stand by as someone uses my likeness and attacks my family! We must strike back!"

Don found a remote control module, and said they could track the source through the signal.

"You guys stay with the robot. I'll be right back. I need some equipment from my lab." Don ordered, getting on a Shell Sled.

When he came back, they got onto the Shell Sleds and followed the device he held, with Leo, Master Splinter, and the Triceraton on the Sewer Slider.

The signal led them to the docks, and, more specifically, a freighter.

"So it WAS the Foot that sicked that Splinter robot on us!" Raph stated.

"But Karai leads the Foot now. She swore on her honor that the Foot would leave us alone." Leo retorted.

"I am sorry, my son. But in this case, we must believe what we see." Master Splinter replied.

Cat watched silently as the Foot brought boxes into a strange building.

"I've got a feeling that we're really, REALLY outnumbered…" Don noted.

"What we need is something to even the odds…" Cat muttered.

Mikey ushered the Triceraton closer.

"Guys, meet Zog…The Equalizer…"

They moved closer, and Don gave them headsets.

"Okay, here's the plan. We'll reconnaissance the ship to see what we're up against." Leo explained.

The Triceraton seemed eager, and nearly knocked a box over.

Cat caught it, putting it down as Leo moved over.

"Quiet, soldier. This is the recon part of the mission. We need stealth."

"Sorry, sir. But stealth is not one of my strong points."

Cat rolled her eyes.

"No duh…"

"We can't take him with us. Mikey, you stay here and watch Zog. Don…you stay here and watch Mikey." Leo whispered to the two youngest turtles.

"HEY…" Mikey whined.

"Be ready to move. We'll contact you as soon as we know what the Foot are up to." Leo finished, and he, Cat, Raph, and Master Splinter went to get onboard the freighter.

Running through the shadows, they stayed out of sight from Foot ninja walking around.

They used anchor ropes to try and get onboard, and jumped over the edge.

Raph and Leo silently dealt with two guards, hiding the unconscious bodies.

With the guards dealt with, they got in through a vent.

'I hate vents…why is it always vents? Their smelly and dusty and…vents!'

Raph found a grate that showed a room below them.

It was red, with what looked like Foot scientists.

"The Shredder? Not again…" Leo muttered.

"I see he still gets his suits as the hardware store…" Raph remarked.

'Why can't he just go down and stay down?' Cat thought.

'He should stop messing with my family!'

"Look! More robots!" Leo noted in a whisper.

"They are building deadly assassins. They must be stopped."

Cat nodded.

'We've got to stop them…sensei's right…'

"This facility must be completely and utterly destroyed."

Leo pressed a button on his headset.

"Don, we've got a plan. We've got to blow this thing sky high. To do THAT, we'll need to get it out to open water and away from the city. Raph, Cat, Master Splinter and I will get to the bridge and get this thing moving. Mikey, you and Zog cast off the mooring lines and meet us on the bridge. Don, can you sink it?"

"If I can't find a way to blow up a Foot lab on top of a thousand gallons of diesel fuel, I might as well hang up my tool belt."

Cat smiled softly.

'Good ol' Donnie…'

They headed to the bridge, which was rather dark.

"Sheesh…all these buttons, and not one 'a them says 'on'…" Raph muttered.

"Didn't think it would be that easy…" Cat replied, looking at everything closely.

The lights suddenly turned on, and Cat whirled around, blades out.

"Hun." She growled.

"Welcome aboard, freaks. I'll be your tour director for the trip, and I'm happy to tell you that you'll be experiencing pain…lots and lots of pain…"

"I think you've got us mixed up with you, big guy." She retorted, blades catching the light.

Suddenly, the Foot Elite busted in, and they turned.

"Mikey, I think it's time you brought in our friend…you know, the secret weapon…" Leo stated into his headset.

"Mikey? Mikey, come in."

Cat felt worry fill her chest.

'…We're so screwed…'


	41. Chapter 41

A hurricane kick sent a Foot Elite flying into a wall

A hurricane kick sent a Foot Elite flying into a wall.

"When you guys promised an ocean voyage, I was thinking of something a lot nicer!"

She ducked beneath a naginata, kicking the ninja off his feet.

"It looked so much nicer on the brochure!" Raph replied, blocking a strike.

Cat sighed.

"And I was hoping to have a nice time, too…"

She ducked a large fist, and grabbed the wrist.

With a short grunt of effort, Hun was flipped over her shoulder.

"Man, did you gain weight? I almost threw my back out!"

She jumped back as a Foot Elite tried to skewer her.

"You guys have no manners!" She chastised, punching the offender in the face.

"You don't come up to a lady without introductions."

She grinned, jumping over another Foot Elite.

Master Splinter started the ships movement forward, making sure it wouldn't move back again.

Suddenly, the ship shook, and Cat fell unceremoniously on her shell.

"OW! NOW what?"

Rolling onto her hands and knees, she shook her head.

A hammer came down, and she rolled out of the way.

"Whoa! No popcorn?"

She kicked him in the chest, and flipped onto her feet.

"You guys have no respect for someone stronger than you…"

A double-bladed weapon nearly cut off her head, and she kicked the offending Foot Elite in the chest.

"Two on one? You guys must have grown some brains."

She blocked both weapons with her own blades, and stood her ground.

"Guys, we're in trouble!"

"We've got a problem! As in a major ninja problem!"

Cat stiffened, pushing off the Elite with a spark of electricity.

'Mikey! Donnie!'

Cat turned to see Hun had tied Master Splinter up with a chain, and held him like a trophy.

"Tell me about it…" Leo muttered.

Cat couldn't suppress a snarl, and her eyes flashed red as fangs bit into her bottom lip.

Electricity escaped her skin, crackling in the air.

"…Put-Him-Down…"

Her voice was harsh as she tried to contain herself, and a drop of blood moved down to her chin.

"Put down your weapons, or the rat gets exterminated."

Cat dropped her weapons.

"Too bad for you that I don't need my weapons to maim you…"

Leo and Raph dropped their weapons, and Cat felt spasms in her stomach.

'I-It hurts…'

It felt like something was searing her insides, and she felt a pressure on the inside of her shell.

When it finally left, it left her near gasping for breath.

She growled when they forced her hands behind her shell, her shell still hurting, and they hesitated before tying her wrists together.

She was pushed to her knees, and gritted her teeth in pain.

Karai came in, and she glared.

'I bet I know what she's here for…'

"I wish you had never come to this place. Now it is put upon me to slay you all."

"So much for your word of honor." Leo replied.

"I…I am sorry…but I must follow my master's orders…"

Karai unsheathed a katana, and Cat tensed.

'She tries anything, and she'll lose an arm…'

"Face it, Leo…She's as bad as the Shredder!" Raph stated.

"I should've known better than to trust YOU, Karai."

Karai raised her sword.

Cat felt something swell in her chest.

"Wait. Let's make this a little more interesting." Hun intervened, using Leo's katana to free the blue-banded turtle.

He then threw Leo his swords, saying that, if Leo defeated her, he might let Splinter go free.

'I'll just have to free myself then, huh?'

Cat pulled a blade from her wristband, and started cutting the rope as the katana clashed, the two talking all the while.

When Leo put away his katana, the ropes were loose enough to tear free.

Karai didn't have the heart to kill the eldest turtle, so Hun moved forward to finish him off.

It was a good thing Zog busted in, punching Hun in the face.

Mikey jumped in next, slamming into two Foot Elite as Don came in through a window, flipping another over his shoulder.

Cat stood up in a flash, and kicked the Foot Elite threatening Splinter and Raph.

Leo came to cut them free, and Raph was eager to get in on the action.

Cat flipped forward, grabbing her blades, and blocked a strike.

Cat grinned when Zog threw Hun over the side of the boat.

"Good job, soldier!"

"…I have failed my master…" Karai stated, lowering her weapons.

"It is alright. You didn't follow his orders because it went against your honor." Master Splinter assured.

"Uh, guys…we've got five minutes before this ship takes a one-way ticket to the bottom of the ocean!" Don informed them.

"Time to go! Zog, we're moving out!" Mikey stated, and they all headed for the door.

Running down the stairs outside the door, they turned a corner to face…

"Well, well…five turtles, a rat, and a Triceraton, if I'm not mistaken…"

"Shredder…" Cat ground out.

The Foot Mechs attacked, and Cat grabbed a fist, punching them in the stomach.

Her fist went through the metal, and sparks spread across her skin as she wrenched her fist up.

It punched her in the face, sending her back a few feet.

"Oh, so you're playing hardball…"

She side-stepped another attack, and the tazer on the arm made her laugh.

"Do your worst, buddy…Do your worst…"

The electricity coursed through her almost pleasantly, and she ripped the arms off.

Something exploded, and electricity shielded her like a second skin.

The floor caved in, and they fell…

Hard…

"Guys, you okay…" She called, standing up.

Scrapes and cuts were pulled, causing slight pain, and she found Don under a beam.

"Donnie!"

Running over, she lifted it off without difficulty.

"Guys, we've got two and a half minutes before this thing is about a thousand miles underwater!"

"Small-brained terrapins! Look what you've done to my lab!"

Cat turned to the source of the voice, and saw a strange brain in there connected to some spine and a single eyeball.

"Stockman? Man, you sure lost some weight…"

The brain hit the glass, and she jumped.

"…EWWW…"

Everyone grouped up, and Don looked at his stopwatch.

"Oh no! We've got to get out of here! We've only got a minute left!"

They headed for an exit, and the Shredder jumped out of the fire before them.

"This is the end, turtles! You'll never get off this ship alive!"

Zog decided to confront the Shredder.

'Be careful, man…be careful…'

He seemed to knock the Shredder out with a beam, and turned around to cheer in victory.

"ZOG!! WATCH OUT!!"

Metal gauntlet raised, catching the light as it struck the Triceraton.

"…Zog…"

"Foolish Triceraton! All who oppose me are fated to perish! You mutant scum should know that better than anyone!"

Cat growled deep in her chest.

"I have tolerated you freaks for far too long-!"

The Shredder was cut off when Zog grabbed him from behind, pinning his arms.

"Sirs, tell them Zog fought bravely…for his comrades…for the republic…"

Zog headed for what looked like a pit of fire.

"For victory!"

He jumped, and Cat took a step forward on instinct.

"Zog!"

"My children, he has given us our lives. We must not dishonor his great sacrifice."

The ship shook, and they started running for the exit.

"It's gonna blow any second!" Don yelled as they reached the railing, jumping into the ocean.

They swam away as it began to explode, and surfaced only to see it sink like the Titanic.

They swam to the docks, pulling themselves up, and watched the smoke.

"You know…it was a real honor to have Zog as one of us…he was a great warrior…"

Cat nodded, putting a comforting hand on Mikey's shoulder.

Slowly, they turned to walk back home.

'Poor guy…I wish I could've somehow saved him…'


	42. Chapter 42

Being able to stick to walls was VERY cool…

Being able to stick to walls was VERY cool…

After witnessing Cat's strange power for himself, Master Splinter had given his only daughter extra meditation and balance classes.

The easier these skills became, the more control she had over this 'bio-electric current', as Don called it.

Splinter had promised to teach her techniques with this strange inner power, but until then, she was happy to use it 'unconventionally'…

SHOCK!!

"OW!! KITTY…"

"…Oops?"

Cat giggled as she climbed up a wall in order to dust off an antique wardrobe.

Everyone was busy setting up the shop for opening night, so it was no wonder Mikey ruined a white antique suit with black ink…

Raph and Casey were fighting about where to put a suit of armor, Don was wiring an 'Open' sign, Leo was cleaning the floor, and April was putting up the breakable merchandise.

Don's Bo staff, still strapped his shell, hit a chandelier as he stood up to put up the sign, and, when Leo stood up to help him, his katana nearly knocked down a stack of dishes.

"That's it! Hand them over!"

A bit embarrassed, Don and Leo handed over their weapons, and April confiscated them, as well as Mikey and Raph's, before turning to Cat.

"But my babies haven't DONE anything!"

"You guys can live without your weapons for ONE day." April replied, holding out a hand expectantly.

Cat pouted childishly before taking her blades off her belt and putting the handles in her friends hands.

"Be careful with them…they'll need air…"

Giggling, April nodded, dropping them into a box and putting them down behind the counter.

Cat sighed, dusting off her hands as April grabbed an old portrait.

"Finally, the O'Neil family portrait can rest in it's rightful place…"

"Whose the man next to your father?" Leo questioned.

"My Uncle Augie…August O'Neil was a real character. He had a head for figures and a heart for adventure."

Cat would've commented if she didn't notice something annoying Raph…

"DAMN BUGS!!"

Casey stumbled with the weight of the suit of armor as Raph chased a little fly, knocking things down all the way.

Only with fast reflexes and a whole shit-load of luck did Cat catch most of the breakables before Raph closed the door on the bug.

"I hate bugs!!"

"…And, from the looks of it, you hate tea cups, glass figurines, and depression glass, too…" Don replied.

Cat carefully put down the items she had balanced precariously on her hands, arms, shell, head, and one foot.

"You should be more careful when you chase a little bug out of the shop, Raphie." Cat scolded lightly, cracking her neck.

"…Oops?"

"You two, away from the breakables! You're both on garbage duty!" An angry April ordered.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Sorry, ma'am."

April then turned to Cat, who was sweeping up the mess from what she couldn't save.

"Thanks, Cat. Imagine the mess there would've been if you weren't here…"

"It's no big. I've been stopping messes for my whole life. I can almost sense them now."

"Hey, April! What's in these boxes?" Raph asked from the back door.

"Things that got damaged in the fire. Why?"

Raph pulled out a puzzle cube.

"This look 'kay…"

"Oh my gosh!"

April took it from him, a look of wonder on her face.

"This puzzle cube was my Uncle Augie's! I can't believe it survived the fire!"

Cat felt her stomach twist in her gut.

"April, maybe you should put that down…"

April grabbed a cloth, starting to clean it off.

"Why?"

"April, don't touch it anymore. I've got a bad feeling-."

The crystals began to glow, the cylinders popping out.

A bright light escaped it, and Cat felt her stomach fall.

'…Aw shell…'

Suddenly, it was like something shifted, and she fell shell-first onto a prickly bush.

"…Ow…"

Sitting up, she looked at the orange sky and strange forest.

"…OKAY…"

"Did an Utrom Transmat go haywire?" Mikey asked.

Cat shrugged as Don began to explain, and she slid off, landing on her feet.

"I'll help ya, April." Raph called up, since said human was stuck up on the bush by a thorned vine.

"No, I'm okay-!"

April was cut off as Raph pulled her off the bush by the vine, and a final tug tore her clothes.

Cat rolled her eyes as April glared at a sheepish Raph.

"She told you not to, Raphie…"

She turned to Don in the midst of his intelligent rant, and she immediately got a lost look on her face.

Apparently, this same rant caused Mikey's head to buzz…

Thing was, everyone heard it…

Raph picked up a large stick.

"I'll get those darn bugs!"

Cat looked up.

"…Raphie…I think you'll need a bigger flyswatter…"

A huge hornet-like beast flew at them, and Cat barely dodged its fangs.

"Guys, watch out!"

Raph smacked it with the stick, but his 'weapon' shattered.

The hornet did a one-eighty, racing for him now that his balance was gone.

"Raph!!"

The hornet grabbed him by his shoulders, lifting him clear off his feet.

"RAPHIE!!"

Cat grabbed hold of the red-banded turtle's ankles, using her 'electricity' to keep her feet firmly planted on the ground.

The creature shrieked, fighting against her hold.

She bit her lip as her feet slipped an inch, drawing blood.

"Guys, help!"

Don grabbed her shell, holding steady, when, with a powerful lunge, the creature pulled the three loose from the ground and started flying off.

Don clung to her shell tight, afraid to loosen his grip, as they soared over the trees.

"Donnie, I hope you've got some ideas…" Cat stated.

"Actually…"

Don looked up at the large bug.

"A bugs exoskeleton is thinnest at the joints."

"And I should care…WHY?" Raph replied, struggling.

Cat smirked.

"Just don't lose your lunch, tough guy…"

Swinging like a trapeze artist, she kicked the creature in the throat.

With a shriek, gasping for air, they were released into the open air.

With a startled squeak, Cat's shell broke through the canopy.

Don had released her, and actually flew a couple yards above her, Raph a yard or so farther.

Using branches and vines to break her fall, Cat slammed onto the forest floor shell-first.

With a groan of pain, she pulled her shell out of the small crater she'd made in the dirt.

That's when Don landed on her…

"…Don…your shell is hard…"

"Sorry, Cat…" Don muttered, still sounding pained, though his fall had been cushioned.

Mikey, Leo, and April ran up, looking worried.

"Guys, are you okay? Where's Raph?" Mikey asked.

With pained groans, the two pointing up to Raph, who was tangled in vines and suspended from a tree branch.

"Did I mention that I hate bugs?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Cat muttered as Mikey helped Don off her and April offered a hand.

"I saw a tree house down the river. We should head that way and check it out." Don stated.

"Alright. You guys up for it?" Cat asked.

Raph fell to the ground.

"…As long as there's no flyin'…"

Cat stretched, feeling her back crack.

"…I agree with you…but I'm not going anywhere without a weapon…"

Well, the whole process of making stone weapons went pretty well…

Even though a stone from one of Mikey's make-shift 'chucks kept hitting her…

"MIKEY, THAT IS IT!! GIVE ME THAT!!"

"KITTY, DON'T BE RASH!!"

"RASH!? I'LL SHOW YOU RASH!!"

Mikey ran around the others, who watched with basically no surprise on their faces, as Cat chased him.

With a shrug, Leo turned.

"She'll cool off eventually."

As the others started making large pieces of bark with sails, Cat finally calmed down and went to help as Mikey hid in a tree.

Once they were done, they used them to head down-river.

With a grin, Cat steered her own and splashed Mikey in the face.

He sputtered.

"KITTY…"

Shrugging, she used a small wave to do a one-eighty in the air, landing heavily, as April flipped expertly head-over-heels in the air.

"Whoa…cool trick…" Cat commented with an amazed whistle.

"Where'd you learn that move?"

"I don't know…something about this place just brings out the jungle girl in me."

Raph smirked.

"Well, at least we know Kitten's always been a jungle girl…"

SPLASH!!

"HEY!!"

"I'm a tough city girl, thank you…not to say the jungle isn't a nice change of scenery…"

They stopped at the shore, the tree house above them.

"Well…this place sure looks...termite-eaten…"

"If they're anythin' like that over-grown cockroach, I don't wanna know 'bout it."

April started climbing the ladder that led up to the tree house.

"Hey, where do ya think yer goin'?"

"I'm not afraid of bugs, tough guy."

They started climbing up.

"Don't worry, bro. Jungle girl will protect you." Mikey teased.

"I'm not scared 'a anythin'! I just hate bugs…"

Cat rolled her eyes.

"Just keep telling yourself that…now climb."

Raph obeyed with a snort.

"Hey, there's a bug crawling up your shell right now…"

"What?! Where?!"

Cat snorted, trying to suppress her laughter, unlike Mikey.

"Ha! Got ya!"

Raph glared, whipping Mikey's snout with the ladder.

Cat let a short laugh escape, and climbed up after the red-banded turtle.

Once in the actual tree house, Cat looked around curiously.

"Careful, Kitty. Remember, 'Curiosity killed Cat'."

"Ha-Ha…VERY funny…" Cat retorted as everyone kept looking around.

Don found a book, and April found a strange compass that belonged to her uncle, which had 'So you can always find your way back to us' engraved on the back.

It even had a smaller version of the portrait inside.

Don, flipping through the book, turned to their human friend.

"April, look at this."

"This is my uncle's handwriting…he was here! In this dimension or whatever it is!"

"That darn puzzle cube must've transported him here, too…" Cat noted.

April read one of the entries.

"'My shelter is hardly holding up against the attacking swarm. I fear this will be my last entry-'."

Cat heard buzzing, and pulled out her stone weapons.

"Stay back, scuzzball!" Raph shouted, throwing a wooden chair and smacking a hornet out of the air.

"Raph, don't! If you make them mad, they'll just fire their-!"

Don was cut off as stingers flew at them.

"Stingers!!"

Cat ducked, hiding away from the barrage of sharp projectiles.

"Good one, Raph!" Mikey complained once the shower of stingers stopped.

When he got no complaint, he looked up.

"Raph?"

It seemed a stinger had gotten him, and he seemed dizzy.

"I…hate…bugs…"

He fell over, and Cat scrambled to her feet.

"Raph!"

She was there in a moment, a hand on his forehead.

"Donnie, is he-?"

"He's paralyzed. If these are anything like Earth hornets, the effect should only be temporary."

A roar reached her, and Don looked through a hole in the wall to see three heading straight for them.

"DUCK!!"

Cat ducked low, shielding Raph as a hornet busted through the wood.

Mikey fought off the hornet heading for them.

"Be careful, bro!" Cat yelled.

She pulled out her weapons, throwing one at a hornet like a shuriken.

It reared back in pain, a shriek causing Cat's ears to ring.

It seemed everyone was having trouble…

When the tree house began to quake, now unstable…

She started sliding with the floor, but grabbed hold of Raph as Mikey yelled, "Abandon tree house!"

They all ran onto the thick tree branch the tree house had been on, April grabbing the compass and journal on the way.

The building shattered as it fell, and Cat swung down freely on a vine, careful of her extra load.

The hornets were still attacking, and Cat put Raph down.

"I'll be right back, love…" She whispered.

Turning, she put her palms together in order to charge up her palms, and shocked the hornet easily.

As it was distracted with the pain, April swung in on a vine and smacked it with her spear, knocking it into a tree.

"…Whoa…"

Cat smiled as her other brothers joined her.

"You GO, jungle girl!"

"High school gymnastics…" April explained.

They made a camp in the safety of some large tree roots, and Cat sat far from everyone else, Raph's head on her lap.

"You'd better wake up, tough guy…" She whispered.

She looked up at the sky through the tree branches, when she felt him stir.

She smirked.

"I know your awake…"

Cat looked down to see him faking, and shook her head slightly in amusement.

"Well, I know how to wake you up…"

Making sure no one was looking, she kissed him, letting loose a surprised squeak when he pulled her closer, his tongue passing her lips.

Pulling back, she smirked.

"Thought you were asleep…"

"I had a dream 'bout bugs…and giant spiders…"

She shuddered.

"Don't even get me started, love…"

"Why? Think there are giant spiders here?"

"You know it's possible." Cat retorted.

"Yeah…a spider here would be, like, thirty times bigger than those hornets…"

"Stop it, Raphie…I'm gonna have nightmares…"

"Hey, what's that behind ya?"

Cat felt something touch her shoulder.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

April jumped as the scream rang in her ears.

Mikey's laughter reached Cat, and she turned to see him rolling on his shell, holding his sides in joy.

"…MICHELANGELO!!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

April looked up worriedly as Cat chased her youngest brother, and noticed Leo, Don, and Raph just sit calmly as if nothing was going on.

"…Is he gonna be okay?"

"He'll be fine." Leo assured.

"Cat wouldn't purposely hurt us, but she can sure make us forget that…" Don added.

Once Cat had showed Mikey what happens when he tries that, she sat down calmly by the fire.

"So…what's up?"

"Look, guys! I found something! Or, my Uncle Augie did, anyway."

April pointed to the journal.

"There's a temple somewhere to the north-east. Here, listen. 'Day 130: I followed the river until I came upon a gray stone temple. Deep within the chamber, at the center of the pyramid, was a large puzzle cube similar in design to the device that transported me to this savage realm. It may be my only way home. If I can just discover how to correctly position the cube. Day 145: I believe I have finally cracked the secret of the puzzle cube. Unfortunately, since my first journey to the pyramid, the giant hornets have begun building a nest on the side of the structure. The journey will be dangerous, but I must try to reach the cube. I leave behind this journal and my compass pendant to help any other soul trapped in this infernal place. Heaven help you. Heaven help you all.'"

Cat sighed, a hand on her forehead.

"That's all he wrote, the rest are just calculations."

"So he was trying to figure it out mathematically?" Cat asked.

"We need to go that temple…and find out what happened to him…" April stated, the compass pendant around her neck.

"If I can piece together his notes, we can correctly position the cube to send us back home." Don informed.

"Then it's settled. We head for the temple first thing in the morning." Leo ordered.

Cat sighed, leaning against Raph.

"Then some sleep is in order…"

'I just hope I can sleep in this place…'

--

Walking through the forest underbrush, Cat was tuning out April and Don's intelligent mumbo-jumbo, saving herself the headache.

Mikey at least tried…

"Do you guys come with sub-titles?"

"Guys, look!"

Everyone turned to Leo, seeing the huge nest on the temple, swarming with hornets.

"I think I know how we can get past them." Don stated, giving April the journal.

Before Cat could question him, he jumped into the river.

He came out covered in foul-smelling muck.

"Hornets and other wasps have a heightened sense of smell. We need to disguise our scent."

Cat covered her nose.

"Do we have to smell THAT bad, bro?"

She shook her head when the others jumped in.

With a shake of her head, she jumped into the river.

Once soaked with muck, they headed for the temple.

As they headed for the front door, Cat nearly gagged.

"This better be worth having all of you downwind…"

The hornets actually left, and Cat couldn't blame them.

She was ready for ten showers herself…

Walking inside, they saw strange sacks everywhere.

"Aren't these babies? Shouldn't someone be watching them?" Cat asked.

"These aren't eggs. They're pupae, second-stage development. From the looks of them, I'd say they're nearly-formed adults." Don answered.

"…Great…" She muttered.

"Weapons ready. Let's move out." Leo ordered.

Mikey started spinning his 'chucks when the rock flew off again, piercing a sack.

All of them began to move.

"…Nice going, Mikey…" Leo stated, a hornet coming out behind him.

Everybody ran for an exit as more hornets ripped their way to freedom.

Her palms sparked as they moved closer.

Two came at her at once, and she shocked both easily.

"We need to find another way out of here!" Leo stated.

"Guys, over here!" April shouted, and they ran through a doorway.

Closing it on the hornets, Cat breathed out a sigh of relief.

She turned to the room, and froze.

"…Guys…we found the giant puzzle cube…"

Everyone headed for it, and April picked up a piece of paper on the floor.

"It's Uncle Augie's handwriting! He DID make it back here!"

"That's strange…the settings on the cube don't match your uncle's notes…Wherever it sent him, it wasn't home…" Don stated.

"You're right. Something must have happened to him while he was setting the final coordinate…but what?"

A strange, guttural roar reached them.

"…You just HAD to ask, didn't you?" Cat asked.

An even BIGGER hornet approached them.

"…The queen, I presume?"

"Yep…" Don answered.

"I don't care if it's Queen Latifah! You guys need to get that cube fired up!" Mikey stated, twirling his 'chucks.

Mikey had some problems, when a stinger of hers cut him.

As he fell back, paralyzed, Leo jumped in.

Leo seemed to be doing alright as the others turned the puzzle cube.

When he was cut, dropping the stingers he was using as make-shift katana, Raph jumped to his aid.

Turning the puzzle cube, Cat jumped when she heard Raph hit the floor.

"NO!"

Jumping onto the large hornet's back, she put her palms flat, electricity flying out of her like a storm.

A shriek of pain hurt her ears, but she refused to be bucked off.

"APRIL!"

The spear hit the queen hornet down, and Cat jumped off as a glow from the puzzle cube signaled their departure.

Grabbing Raph and running, she helped April and Don bring up Leo and Mikey as the glow brightened.

The queen flew at them, but a bolt of electricity made her rear off course before they traveled back.

Landing on the floor of April's antique shop, Cat barely lifted her head when Casey came in, complaining that something smelled.

Let's just say some muck hit him in the face…

After cleaning off the foul-smelling crud, April explained what happened.

"Ya defeated the hornet queen?"

April smiled.

"Like I said, something about that place just brought out the jungle girl in me."

"And let's hope you don't take a vacation there." Cat joked.

'I know I won't…'


	43. Chapter 43

Mikey frantically pushed buttons on his Shell Cell

Mikey frantically pushed buttons on his Shell Cell.

"…MIKEY!!"

He froze.

'Oh, no! Kitty found out!'

The brick beneath his feet began to quake as his sister stomped towards him.

"EEP!"

The white-banded turtle caught her youngest brother by his mask tails, leveling a fiery violet gaze on him.

"Where is it, Mikey?"

He tried to play naïve.

"Where's what?"

"Don't play dumb with me? Where-Is-It?"

He pouted.

"…I don't have it…"

A thud as his butt connected with the floor.

"…You can't be serious…"

"But I am! I don't have issue 137 of The Justice Force!"

"…But I need to know what happens to Battling Bernice!"

"Me, too!"

Cat grabbed his Shell Cell.

"Call, man! CALL!"

As he did so, calling every comic book store in New York, Don started revving the engine of a new Shell Cycle and Leo and Raph were sparring.

All the noise seemed to be messing with Master Splinter's patience and focus, and he eventually stood up.

"My children!"

Everything seemed to stop.

"For the next hour, you will practice your ninja silence! Is that understood?"

Everyone nodded silently, when music blared.

Cat turned, a growl in her throat, as Casey came in with a boom box.

"Hey, guys! Want a road trip?"

Master Splinter threw his cane, hitting the boom box and shutting it off.

"I believe it would be a good idea for you all to head out." Master Splinter admitted.

Mikey groaned.

"Man! No one in this city has Justice Force 137!"

Cat sighed, smacking her forehead.

"We'll NEVER find it!"

"What about my guy Steve? If the comic exists, he has it. But he's all the way up in Northampton…"

Cat and Mikey shared glances with their brothers before looking at Casey.

"…ROAD TRIP!!"

--

Cat's new silver Shell Cycle roared down the street, stopping in front of a comic book store.

Adjusting the new jacket that she'd had to wear, she pulled off her helmet.

"Come on, guys!" She called, putting up the kickstand and heading for the door as she unzipped the jacket enough to show her neck and some of her collar bone.

Mikey ran in, excited beyond belief, and Cat moved to the comic books.

"Superman-Batman-Flash-Green Lantern-Daredevil-Spiderman…Where are all the good superheroes?" Cat muttered.

"Yes! Wonder Woman, Hawk Girl, Supergirl…THESE are superheroes…"

"…Feminism makes ya hate guys, doesn't it?"

Cat looked up at the red-banded turtle.

"…How many male superheroes are there?"

"…A lot…"

"How many female superheroes are there?"

"…'Kay, I see yer point…"

"Thank you. I just prefer that woman are shown saving the world just as much as men."

A strange noise reached her ears, and Cat straightened.

"Kitten?"

"Sh…I can't…"

A strange little robot busted through the door, and Cat pulled out her weapons.

She saw something out of the corner of her eye, and she turned.

"Metalhead? Seriously?"

She stabbed a robot, making it spark.

"Aw! They even have little weapons!" Cat teased.

She kicked one, making it spark, and it smacked into the comic book owners head.

"Oops!"

But the sound of metal on metal surprised her, and he removed a wig.

Mikey almost had a fangirl moment.

"Stainless Steve Steel!"

"…COOL…" The two stated in unison.

With a jump, Cat dodged a little robot, and her hands sparked as she slammed her palms on it.

"Domoids?" Cat questioned.

Unfortunately, it seemed Stainless Steve pulled something when he did a roll, bashing a robot.

Cat went to help him up when a robot zapped Metalhead, making him fall unconscious.

The robots then flew away with him, and Cat would've followed if the superhero was draped over her shoulder.

They went outside, and Mikey asked, "Who could've done this?"

Before Stainless Steve could answer, Cat did.

"Doc Dome. He's the only one able to control the Domoids, remember?"

"But wasn't he part of the Justice Force, too?" Mikey asked.

"Doc Dome always blamed the rest of us for the demise of Battling Bernice. It was only a matter of time before his anger turned to madness and revenge." Stainless Steve answered.

He then took out a strange device, pressing the button.

"A Justice Force Emergency Signal?" Mikey stated in awe.

"I've been carrying this around for almost forty years…I never thought I'd have to use it again…"

"Then we'd better head out." Cat stated, grabbing her helmet.

--

They all drove up to a large mansion-like house.

Mikey and Raph helped Steve out of Don's side-car.

"I can't Doc Dome would turn evil…" Mikey stated.

"You can't ignore the facts, Mikey." He replied.

"You'd be amazed at what he can ignore." Raph stated.

The others headed for the door, and Don pushed the door open easily.

"Um, Steve? Do you usually leave your door unlocked?"

Steve shook his head.

Cat pulled out her blades, walking in warily.

The light turned on, and Cat quirked an eye-ridge at the old man in a wheelchair.

"…Zippy Lad?"

"What are ya talkin' 'bout? He's just an ol' dude!" Casey objected.

Suddenly, in a flash of orange, Casey was knocked off his feet.

"Who are you calling old, slowpoke?"

"You're looking well, Zip." Steve greeted.

"No I'm not! I'm a mess, just like you!"

Steve lay on the floor, trying to stretch out his back.

"Did somebody say stretch?"

"…Can't retract your neck, can you?" Cat asked sympathetically.

"I will, it just takes longer than it used to."

Mikey grinned.

"Isn't this great! It's like we're a part of history!"

"Yeah…ancient history…" Raph remarked.

SMACK!!

"OW!! KITTEN!!"

"Respect your elders! Especially when they've saved the world!" Cat scolded.

After the older superheroes had gotten ready, they were ready to defeat Doc Dome.

Cat tensed, hands on her blades.

"Sh…Something's on the roof…"

She moved to the window, using the window sill to flip outside.

Crouching on the tiles, she looked over the rooftop.

"…Domoids…"

She smiled as her brothers and Casey came up behind.

"Ready for a butt-whooping?"

"Always." Raph replied, and everyone jumped into action.

Jumping on a Domoid, her blades pierced the glass on its head, and she kicked out at a couple coming at her from behind.

When her hands hit the roof, she twisted to kick a Domoid coming at her from the side, and caught one flying at her side, shocking it.

Throwing the smoking robot at one of its companions, she jumped back onto the chimney.

"Okay, this is getting a bit old…" She muttered, grabbing a shuriken and throwing it.

When it pierced a Domoid, the metal ninja wire still in her hands sent a spark of electricity through the wire and shuriken and into the robot.

Pulling the projectile out with a flick of the wrist, she spun it around to slash up some more robots heading for her.

The sound of small jets made her look up, and she saw some Domoids flying away with Zippy Lad and Joylastic.

'Shell!'

"They're getting away!" Mikey shouted.

Cat jumped down, using her shuriken to hit a Domoid behind her brother.

"Not really. I planted Turtle Trackers on the old guys, just in case." Don stated.

"Then I say we go track them." Cat added.

--

She cut off the engine as they neared the wire fence, and got off in order to cut a way through.

"Guys first." She joked, dodging a fist from Casey.

They hid in the bushes, looking at the building before them.

"That's one big dome!" Casey muttered.

"That's Doc Dome's fortress." Steve explained, looking through a pair of binoculars.

"We're in luck. He's not controlling all of those Domoids."

He gave the binoculars to Don.

"See those blinking lights in their domes? That means that they're on automatic defense mode. They'll attack anything that moves that doesn't give off that signal."

Don smiled.

"Then we'll just have to give off that signal…"

Cat rolled her eyes playfully.

"Knew he'd have a plan eventually…"

Don pulled out a toy he'd gotten at the comic book of Silver Sentry.

It caught the attention of a few Domoids, and they lured them into the bushes.

Once they were busted, they removed the domes and strapped them to their heads.

"…We look ridiculous…" Raph complained as they moved across the field.

"We'll look even worse if we get out heads bashed in by Domoids, Raphie." Cat replied, smiling.

They walked inside, and Cat felt a bit…apprehensive…and her hands sparked in case she'd need some immediate electricity at hand.

They were in a large room by the time she looked up again, and Steve wiped at some glass to find Metalhead.

"Metalhead! Doc Dome will pay for this!"

"Whoa! Let's not jump to conclusions." Cat warned, removing the dome.

"Yeah. I've read too many comic book stories where things are never as they seem." Mikey agreed.

Steve busted the glass open, and Metalhead opened his eyes before the red alert flashed throughout the whole room.

"…I hate when this happens…" Cat muttered.

Everything began to shake, and a huge Domoid busted through a wall.

"Doc Dome!" Cat and Mikey shouted in unison.

"Stainless Steve, you and your turtle flunkies might have succeeded in capturing the others, but you won't get me without a fight!"

"You dare accuse us of your treachery, Doc Dome? This is YOUR lab! These are YOUR Domoids!"

Cat was smacked back with her brothers as Stainless Steve was lifted up.

"If you won't admit your treachery, then maybe your captives will!"

He busted open the other two pods, waking up the other two captives.

Zippy Lad woke up drowsily, snapping awake when he saw Doc Dome.

"Doc Dome! You traitor!"

"What? No! HE'S the traitor! Can't you see he's trying to frame me?"

"Impossible! Only YOU could unleash these Domoids! They only respond to YOUR telepathic commands!" Steve accused, bashing the robotic hand in order to free himself.

The other Justice Force members joined him.

"I haven't used the Domoids in years! All that mental control is giving me super migraines! And isn't it CONVENIENT that you were present for all the kidnappings, but you yourself have never been kidnapped!"

Cat felt a headache coming on.

'But if Doc Dome didn't do it, and no one else can control it…'

Her head snapped up.

'…Someone else is involved…I can feel it…'

She turned to see Doc Dome and Steve backing up towards a shrine in memory of Battling Bernice.

"STOP!!"

She got between them in a flash, not planning on moving.

"Does a lady always have to stop the fighting? You're all part of a team, so start acting like it!"

Mikey joined her.

"You guys are friends, teammates. Doc Dome, who saved you from the living volcano? And Stainless Steve, who cured you of that creeping alien rust?"

"…I think what my little brother is trying to say is…We need to work together to find out who's really behind this."

Cat turned her head when she saw Domoids coming in.

"…Aw shell…"

"Ah-ha! The Domoids only glow like that when HE'S mentally controlling them!" Steve stated.

'But shouldn't his dome be glowing, too?'

Her brothers and idiot friend who DIDN'T think of this, probably because most of them didn't read comic books, jumped onto the large Domoid and bashed in the glass.

Cat shook her head slightly, jumping up.

"Guys, lay off! He's not controlling them!"

"How do ya know?" Raph asked.

"Because if I WAS, MY dome head would be red, too!" Doc Dome answered.

"See? Am I the only one who thinks of these things?"

Cat glanced at Mikey, who smiled sheepishly.

"But if HE'S not controlling them, who is?" Don questioned.

"I am."

Everyone turned to the newcomer, and Cat nearly fell off the Domoid in surprise.

"Battling Bernice?!"

'But…It CAN'T be her…She's too young!'

Doc Dome climbed down.

He seemed to see the same thing.

"You should be older! You're not Battling Bernice!"

The woman walked over to the shrine.

"That's right. I'm her daughter, Amanda."

"You're lying! I would've known if Bernice had a daughter!" Doc Dome retorted.

"She didn't want ANYONE to know. That's why she quit the team when she did, but you pulled her back in! All of you! And now I will have revenge on the people that took my mother away from me!"

Strange metal hands grabbed the Justice Force, and Cat jumped to the ground.

"Whoa! Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here, Amanda!"

Cat ducked below a Domoid, busting it open with her fist.

"You can't blame people for fate! No matter how much it hurts!"

Electricity coursed through the robots bodies.

"There's no one to blame for Battling Bernice's death!"

She turned to see the large Domoid grab Raph and Leo, trapping Don and Mikey underneath its feet before picking up Casey.

"…You know what? No more Miss Nice Turtle…"

She didn't care that Amanda was Doc Dome's daughter.

She didn't care that she'd tried to destroy the Justice Force with deception.

You mess with four turtles and two humans, you have a pissed off Cat on your hands.

The Domoids came closer, and she kicked three straight off the ground.

Doc Dome tried to regain control, and Mikey and Don were freed, as well as the Justice Force.

Once Raph, Leo, and Casey hit the ground, Amanda tried to regain control.

Let's just say she was successful…

Doc Dome's dome sparked, and he was too weak to stop her.

"Face it, daddy. You're old, and you're weak."

The large Domoid grabbed him, and the army got between her and them.

"A child treats her father like that, and you KNOW there's a problem up here."

Cat tapped her temple.

"Everyone, concentrate your attack on Amanda!" Don ordered.

"Wait, don't! Don't concentrate your attacks! Split her focus in as many directions as possible!" Mikey ordered.

Cat threw one Domoid, and smirked.

"Then I've got just the thing…"

Charging up her palms, she slammed them onto the ground.

The very floor quaked and splintered, electricity shooting up and shocking the robots out of commission.

As the area grew, she felt her energy drain away.

'I've gotta hold it up…come on…'

Her arms constricted in pain.

'Come on…'

She bit her lip, drawing blood as the pain grew.

'Come on!'

"It's too much! I can't control it all!" Amanda cried.

Cat stopped, her palms smoking, as the large Domoid fell over.

All the action stopped, and Cat hissed in pain as she tried to right herself with her hands.

'Is everybody alright?'

It seemed Amanda's legs were trapped, but Doc Dome ordered the robot to remove itself.

"Amanda, look at me."

The girl obeyed.

"No one forced your mother back into the Justice Force. She chose this life, and she chose to give her life to save ours. But you still have one parent that is very much alive."

Doc Dome offered his hands to his daughter.

"And wants to be a part of YOUR life."

They hugged.

"Awww…"

Cat smiled, and Raph put an arm around her shoulders.

"Sweet, huh?"

"Not as sweet as something I know…" She replied, following the others outside to the Shell Cycle's.

"I can't thank you guys enough for your help. This could've easily ended in tragedy. But it looks like things will turn out okay." Steve stated gratefully.

"Thanks to these young whipper-snappers." Zippy stated, smacking Cat and Mikey on the shoulder's playfully.

"How'd you come up with such a clever plan?" Joylastic asked the orange-banded turtle.

Mikey said something, but Cat tuned him out as she pulled on her helmet and jacket.

"Well, would ya look at that? Mikey's comic book geek-dom turned out ta be good fer somethin'." Raph replied.

The others started to roll out, but Cat stopped when Stainless Steve called out her and Mikey's names.

She turned and caught a strange disk in her hands.

"A Justice Force Emergency Signal?"

"Consider yourselves honorary Justice Force members."

Cat beamed.

"It's an honor. Thanks."

"AWESOME…"

Cat rolled her eyes, popping a wheely before she started speeding after her other brothers, Mikey behind her.

'Well, won't this make a nice comic book…'


	44. Chapter 44

Watching her father beat up a punching bag and sending it flying made her hands move slower

Watching her father beat up a punching bag and sending it flying made her hands move slower.

He'd ordered her to practice the speed of hand signs he'd taught her, but she was having trouble doing it fast and perfect at the same time.

"How's it going?" Mikey asked.

"…Okay…" She mumbled, trying to focus.

When Splinter broke a tower of bricks with one hit, she forgot her hand signs immediately.

"…WHOA…"

Everything was silent as Master Splinter walked past them and into his room.

"…Um…I'll just be over here…" Cat muttered, walking over to the couch.

"…So…what's up with Master Splinter?" Mikey asked.

"I don't get it…why was Master Splinter working out so hard?" Don asked.

"He's been actin' kinda wacko fer a month now." Raph added.

Splinter's door opened, and he came out with a bag of supplies.

"My children, I will be leaving you for a few days."

Cat jumped up, moving towards the group.

"While I am gone, I want you to be extra cautious, so do not leave the lair until I return."

He stepped down from the doorway.

"Leonardo, you are in charge. Caterina will help you keep an eye on the others."

He started walking to the exit of the lair.

"But…where are you going, sensei?" Leo asked.

"Do not worry. I will be back soon."

And the door to the lair closed…

"…Again, I pose the question…What's up with Master Splinter?"

Cat shrugged.

"I wouldn't know…"

"Don't you guys remember? He left like this three years ago." Leo stated.

"Maybe he's got a girlfriend-OW!!"

Mikey pouted, glaring at Raph.

"…There's one way ta find out what Master Splinter is up ta…We follow 'im."

"He said we're not supposed to leave the lair." Leo retorted.

"He also said ya need ta keep an eye on us. So ya keep an eye on us while WE keep an eye on 'im."

Cat shared a glance with Leo.

"…WELL…it's a solid plan…I'm going. Wait up, guys!"

Leo sighed, smacking his forehead.

"I curse the day she found her sense of adventure…"

He followed them, anyway.

He couldn't just let them all go out on their own like that, anyway…

They followed him through dark New York City, and stopped outside an alley he was walking down.

'I'm surprised he hasn't noticed us yet…'

She watched him draw symbols on the bricks, and heard him chant.

When the puddle of water moved, making a glowing doorway over the symbols, her eyes widened and she nearly fell over in shock.

"Whoa…" She whispered, nearly completely silent.

Master Splinter walked through, disappearing, and the glowing died.

As the water fell to the floor, Cat shared a glance with her brothers.

"OKAY…THAT was freaky…" Mikey stated.

They walked up to the walls, and Cat rapped on it with her knuckles.

"Hmmm…seems sturdy…"

"It's rock-solid!" Mikey agreed.

"Yeah…like your head…" Raph retorted.

Cat shook her head in amusement.

"That chanting did seem familiar, though…right, Leo?"

"Yeah. But I've never seen those symbols before…"

"I think I might've…I just don't remember where…" Cat muttered.

"Then it looks like sensei's given us the slip." Mikey stated.

"Maybe…maybe not…sensei always taught us that where's there's a will, and some UV lighting, there's always a way." Don informed, pulling out a UV light and pointing it at the wall.

The symbols glowed there as if they'd never disappeared.

"COOL…got any chalk in your bag a' tricks, bro?"

Once they'd traced the symbols, Leo and Cat just needed to repeat the chant.

Cat shrugged, closing her eyes.

After a while, she peeked her eye open.

"Did it work-? …Never mind…it did…"

"…You know, maybe this isn't such a great idea after all-."

Mikey was cut off when Raph threw him in.

"Comin'?" Raph asked, walking through.

"…Coming!" Cat stated, running through.

The water ride she received was unappreciated…

And so was the sudden freefall and muck…

"…EW…"

She stood up, brushing herself off as she walked onto land.

"Where are we?" Leo asked.

"I don't know…but if I were to guess, I'd say this is a world between worlds…between dimensions…a nexus…" Don guessed.

"Oh, so you mean a point of overlapping sub-space commonality."

They stared at the youngest turtle as if he'd grown a second head…

"What? Donnie's not the only turtle that watches Star Trek, you know!"

Something whirred and chirped, and they looked up to see another doorway open.

Cat pulled out her weapons as strange sticks flew out, landing in the ground before them.

They became stick-like creatures, three blades on their left shoulders.

"…OKAY…"

"Hold on, guys. Maybe they mean us no harm." Leo reasoned.

Their opponents pulled out scythes.

"…Ya were sayin', Fearless Leader?"

The enemy charged.

"We don't have TIME for this." Cat whined.

"I don't think we have a choice." Don replied.

Cat jumped to the side as a sharp weapon threatened to cut off her arm.

"Over here! Too slow!" She teased.

She ducked down, sliding between his feet, and jumped up to grab her opponent around the neck and pull him to the ground.

"Guys, get in close!"

With a single arm, she flipped her opponent over again, careful of the blade, and shocked him slightly.

When he stopped putting up such a fight, she backed off.

With all the alien creatures down, Cat turned to her brothers.

"You guys okay?"

She noticed the broken blades.

"Aw…Sorry, Leo…"

She gave her blue-banded brother a sympathetic look before a familiar floating guru came into sight.

"Preliminary match won in 54.3 quargons."

Their opponents bowed, apparently knocked out of the 'competition'.

'What competition?'

She keyed herself into the conversation.

"Slarvaks? Us? I don't think so…"

Another portal opened, and large ogre-like creatures jumped out.

"Something has gone wrong…you weren't meant to fight…in fact, the only Earther registered is Hamato, Splinter."

"Hamato, Splinter? Where is he?" Cat asked, resisting the urge to pull out her weapons.

"This is not how it should be. Now I'll have to reschedule their match."

The guru and the two groups of aliens left in a sphere of water.

"…I notice he didn't answer me…" Cat noted.

Leo wrapped up his broken katana, and they started looking for their father.

"Maybe sensei will know what's going on." Cat mused, jumping clear over a river.

"Yeah. He seemed to know a lot more about that Ultimate Ninja business than he was telling." Mikey agreed.

"MAN, if I see that Ultimate Ninja, I'm gonna-!"

Raph stopped as Cat grabbed his arm.

"Enough of your threats, Raphie!"

"Why-?"

He caught sight of what was below them…

"What the shell?!"

A large four-armed alien with a strange tail was trying to punch Master Splinter to dust.

"SENSEI!!"

They all shouted at once.

The boys started running down, and Cat nearly tripped.

"HEY!! WAIT UP!!"

She started running down, but stopped when her brothers were caught in a blue dome.

"According to Battle Nexus rules, there can be no external interference between contestants." The guru stated, appearing.

Cat stopped beside them.

"Hey, guys. How is it in there?"

"Peachy. Now go help Master Splinter!"

Cat rolled her eyes.

"And end up in one of those things? Sorry, but I prefer my freedom."

The fighting between Master Splinter and his large opponent was intense and just watching made Cat's hands twitch as she suppressed the urge to join.

When Master Splinter won and the bubble faded, joy overtook the adrenaline.

"SENSEI!!" She exclaimed, running over.

Questions filled the air immediately, but her smile fell when she saw the stern look on Splinter's face.

"You were supposed to stay at home, not follow me here. Leonardo, Caterina, I am very disappointed in you."

Directing her eyes to the floor, she shuffled her feet guiltily.

"It wasn't that I didn't WANT to…it's just…Well, you know I love a good adventure…"

"Don't blame 'em, Master Splinter. I kinda talked 'em inta it." Raph stated, stepping slightly in-between her and Splinter.

That's when the large four-armed creature stood up, and Cat felt her palms spark.

Her brothers pulled out their weapons, but Splinter stopped them.

"This jing is not an enemy."

"Well fought, comrade." The large man stated with a chuckle, leaning down.

"And I had such hopes of beating you."

"And you almost did, old friend. It was a most valiant contest. Domo arigato."

"You five should be honored to have someone like Splinter as your sensei. He is something of a legend here."

"…A legend? Really?" Cat muttered in awe.

"You mean he hasn't told you?"

The five turtles shook their heads in unison.

He laughed slightly.

"Then allow me to tell you a story about your sensei."

"I would really rather that you not bother, old friend." Splinter stated.

"Oh, it's no bother, comrade."

He turned to the five turtles.

"Now listen up, young ones. Throughout time and across the multi-verse, the greatest warriors have always searched for great challenges. And so it came to pass that this place was born, a nexus between the universes where warriors could pit themselves against worthy challenges. The Battle Nexus Championship, where a warrior can prove himself to be the most powerful and most skilled martial artist of all creation. Your sensei's sensei was once a Battle Nexus Champion. And, not long after that, your master entered the competitions as well. He surpassed many with his skill, bravery, and honor. But his successes led him to a final battle with one of the fiercest of all the fighters, Drako. Poor Splinter…his leg was broken in the battle, and it looked hopeless…The match was halted, and Splinter was given the chance to forfeit…"

Cat looked at her sensei worriedly.

"But, he would not. He was allowed to splint his leg and continue the contest. I swear by wantan's fist that even I hardly believed it when Splinter managed to triumph over Drako, broken leg and all. Truly, he was the best of the best that day…Splinter was the new champion of the big brawl."

Awe kept Cat's tongue from forming words.

"Wha-? But-. Really-? I-."

She smacked her forehead, dislodging the sentences in her throat.

"COOL!"

"Our sensei? The greatest warrior in all the multi-verse?" Leo asked.

"Oh, it was nothing…" Splinter replied humbly.

"This is HUGE!" Mikey protested.

"I won the competition, that is all."

"This is like finding out your dad is Superman!" Mikey added.

"…Now that would be nice…" Cat mumbled.

"Ah, but wait. There's more."

They turned back to Splinter's old friend.

"Dark deeds were afoot that day…"

He explained how Drako and his assassins had tried to kill Splinter and a young warrior that had come to his aid.

"Splinter and the young rabbit samurai would have been destroyed had the Daimyo not intervened. Using his mystical War Staff, he made Drako flee like the coward he is. He has not been heard of since."

"Wow…it's all so…COOL…" Don stated.

A portal opened behind them, and the Daimyo stepped out.

"We are honored by your return, sensei." He greeted Splinter.

"It is I who am honored."

"I can not tell you how it feels to have a friend in the ranks of gallant warriors. Now your sons and daughter are here to compete. It is truly a great day."

"They were supposed to stay at home…" Splinter stated.

Cat smiled sheepishly.

"I can't help it that I'm cute and curious, can I?"

"My noble Daimyo, the four turtles were not registered properly, but they did win a match in the qualifying round."

"Excellent. Then by my decree, they are entered into the contest…IF you deem it acceptable, my friend."

"I thought that perhaps they were not ready to compete…"

Cat gave him the puppy-dog eyes.

"PLEASE? I never ask for ANYTHING…"

"…But perhaps fate is showing an over-protective father that his children are growing up…"

Cat's eyes lit up with hope.

"They may enter."

"YES!"

Cat caught herself, forcing down the happy smile.

"I mean…That's great…"

"You can be happy, my daughter."

"…Really? Okay…"

She jumped into the air, cheering.

"YES!! THIS IS GONNA BE THE COOLEST THING WE'VE _EVER _DONE!!"

"Now that that is happily settled, I have an important point of honor to address."

A strange purple smoke appeared, revealing the Ultimate Ninja.

"My son."

Cat growled, eyes flashing red.

"What is this? Some kinda trick?" Raph demanded, sai drawn.

"There is no trick. I swear it."

He turned to Splinter.

"Honored sensei, I know that when last we met, I challenged Leonardo to a mortal duel. It was a rash act, and I humbly apologize for my unwarranted actions against your family. I beg your forgiveness."

"Well, you can just take your forgiveness and stuff it up your-!"

Leo covered his sister's mouth before she could finish her insult and get a smack from a walking stick.

Not to say she didn't finish it in safe mumbles and growls before she took out all her anger and shoved Leo off.

"I'm okay…I'm fine…I won't hurt him…I won't maim, dismember, disembowel, torture, or kill anyone…Turtle's Honor."

Splinter didn't pay attention to the exchange.

He knew his daughter's senses were razor sharp and more acute than some of his own, though hers weren't as trained.

If she felt something was wrong, why disbelieve her?

"Your apology is most gracious. We accept."

Leo walked up.

"I'm sorry, sensei…but I don't think I can compete…My swords…they were broken…"

"Father, we must help him." The Ultimate Ninja stated.

"Of course. We have an exemplary palace swordsmith. Fear not."

The Daimyo's War Staff started to glow, as did Leo's swords.

"The gyochi will see that the swords are repaired and brought to you."

"As you wish my lord."

When the strange floaty man disappeared, the Daimyo's staff glowed again.

"Come. The next stage of the tournament is about to begin."

They were suddenly on a balcony over-looking the arena, the cheering of the crowd nearly deafening even from that height.

The Daimyo moved to the edge.

"Warriors, you have traveled from the multitude of universes, and I bid you welcome to the Battle Nexus Tournament. To those who have fallen in battle, I salute you on your bravery and courage. And, to those who have passed the preliminary round, I say congratulations! And brace yourselves for the combat to come. And now is the time!"

His War Staff glowed again.

"Let the next round of the Battle Nexus Tournament begin!"

What seemed like fireworks flew into the air, exploding in a shower of confetti.

They looked down at the warriors, and Cat smiled.

"Traximus!"

"Hey, let me see!" Raph stated.

"Oh, wow!"

"Cool!"

"My friends, allow me to escort you to your next arena." The Ultimate Ninja offered.

'Yeah, like I'll lower my guard with YOU at my shell…' Cat thought defensively.

They were soon walking through a hallways filled with statues.

"As you see around you, this is the Pavilion of Past Champions. Something of a Hall of Fame. And here are two statues that may interest you."

The Ultimate Ninja stopped, gesturing to two statues.

"Sensei and Master Yoshi…" Cat muttered in awe.

Mikey grinned.

"Imagine if I had a statue next to them!"

Cat gave him a skeptical look.

"…I don't think so…That's about as likely as me ripping off my shell and eating it…I think it'll probably be me."

"In an area you don't belong in?"

A fiery violet gaze landed on their 'guide'.

"And what would my area be, smartass?"

"The home, of course."

Raph barely grabbed her shoulder before she pounced like a tiger.

A really pissed off tiger…

"I bet I'll win!"

"Really? For what stakes?"

Don sighed.

"Cat, don't. Remember what happened last time-."

He was cut off as her glare turned to him.

"…I'm shutting up now…"

"Good."

Cat turned to the Ultimate Ninja, hands on her hips.

"I don't care what the stake are, because I know I'll win. You choose."

Leo smacked his forehead.

"Cat, that's not wise-."

He shut his mouth when she glared at him.

"If you win, I shall never insult females again."

"That would be a nice improvement…" Cat muttered.

"But if you lose, even if you make it to the finals, you must…"

He paused.

"What now? Can't think of anything?" Cat teased.

"No. But I want you to swear that you will honor this bet."

Cat quirked an eye-ridge.

"Why?"

"Will you or won't you?"

Cat sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Fine. Pushy…I swear on my honor to follow this bet to the end. Happy?"

"Yes. Now, if you lose, you must sell your soul over to me."

Surprise crossed her face as rage crossed Raph's.

"Why ya little lying maggot!"

Cat grabbed his hand, more for confidence than to hold him back.

"…I swore on my honor, Raph…"

"He tricked ya! That ain't fair!"

"I should've thought of that…but I accepted the challenge and swore on my HONOR…I have to agree to the stakes…"

She pulled him back.

"It's no one's fault but my own."

She glared at the Ultimate Ninja.

'He took advantage of my rage…not a smart move for his health…'

"I agree, so you'd better start holding your tongue once I win."

He chuckled.

"If you think so…"

'…He's going down…'

"Come, we must go."

"You know, I'd prefer to stay here." Cat stated.

"Me, too." Leo agreed.

The three other turtles nodded before heading out.

"Raph, don't kill anyone before I get my hands on them!" Cat shouted after them, grinning.

"…I told you it wasn't a smart move…"

"My rationale kinda leaves when I'm pissed, bro. I can't help it."

Her eyes hardened.

"And somehow he knew that."

"Do you think he's up to something?"

"Something's up, I just can't tell WHAT…"

She turned to the statue of Yoshi.

"…He was a great warrior…with honor…I can only hope I'm as good as him one day…"

"You're almost there, sis."

"Thanks, aniki."

A comfortable silence fell over them, both natural leaders in their own right.

But there was a difference.

Cat knew how to take orders as well as give them, though she didn't often have to.

Her eyes stayed on the statues, her senses slowly dulling.

Suddenly, a soft sound made her senses snap to high-alert.

'…We're not alone anymore…'


	45. Chapter 45

Something was flying through the air, and she whirled around, catching the projectile

Something was flying through the air, and she whirled around, catching the projectile.

It was an arrow, loosed from a crossbow, which was held by a shadowy assassin.

Throwing the projectile back, she pulled out her blades.

She blocked more arrows, jumping back in order to keep away from the focus of fire.

"Leo! Watch out!"

Shuriken flew at him, and he ran to dodge them before an assassin smacked him shell.

"HEY!"

Cat landed on the offenders back, electricity racing out of her palms to course through his body.

When she got off, it was like the assassins disappeared.

"…OKAY…"

Leo grabbed a naginata when a whip wrapped around his wrist, and a strong pull flipped him in the air.

"LEO!"

Cat jumped in, blocking a short sword and doing a flip-kick.

Something struck her shell, and she flew forward.

Leo's shell hit the wall in front of her, and she growled as she stood up again.

The assassin leveled his crossbow, and Cat was about to charge when a sword cut it to pieces.

"…WHOA…"

"You fight without honor, assassin." The rabbit samurai accused, jumping down from the statue.

The assassins seemed to flee, climbing up the walls and into the shadows.

Cat kept her senses up as she helped Leo to his feet.

She turned to the samurai, smiling gratefully.

"Thanks for the help, samurai."

"It was no problem at all, kunoichi."

"My name's Caterina."

"And I'm Leonardo. And we're both in your debt."

"I am Miyamoto, Usagi, a ronin and a competitor in the Battle Nexus Tournament. I was passing by when I saw you two set upon by those dishonorable assassins."

"Well, that was a lucky twist of fate." Cat noted.

"Luck and fate have nothing to do with it. It's skill and control of your energies. Your mind and your weapon must be as one, or you will certainly perish."

Cat nodded.

"Makes sense. I guess I'm partway there, then."

Leo sighed, smiling sheepishly.

"Sensei's always telling me the same thing…"

Cat perked, eyes narrowing.

"…Hey, bro…"

"What?"

"…Duck…"

With a flip, she slashed the shuriken apart, and landed in a crouch.

The assassins came back, throwing more shuriken.

"Watch out, guys!"

With a leap, she kicked an assassin square in the chest, pushing off so she could flip.

When two came at her from two sides, she smirked.

"Alright, then…I wanted to test this out anyway…"

Holding her blades out at arms-length, she started spinning, concentrating her electricity through her skin.

It created a tornado, and the two assassins were shocked unconscious.

Skidding to a halt, she saw another one over Leo with a crude-looking blade.

"LEO!!"

He grabbed a helmet, blocking the blade and kicking the assassin in the chest.

He jumped to his feet, and Cat quirked an eye-ridge at the helmet.

'…WEIRD…'

Leo threw it before both turtles ran to Usagi's aid.

But the assassins vanished, and Cat looked up the wall.

"They vanished again…" She muttered.

"Once again, thank you for your help, samurai." Leo thanked the ronin.

"Do not thank me yet. Fate may pit us against each other in the tournament."

Cat smiled.

"Well, the way you fight, I'd prefer to stay out of it as long as I can."

"The feeling is mutual, kunoichi."

The gyochi appeared.

"Leonardo-san, your swords have been repaired. I hope they are to your satisfaction."

"Thank you."

"You three must hurry. The next stage of the Battle Nexus Tournament is about to begin."

They headed to the arena, and Cat immediately scanned the group for Raph and the others.

"Good luck, Leonardo-san. Caterina-san."

They returned the bow they received.

"The same to you, Usagi-san." Cat replied.

"Good luck, samurai."

They walked down, splitting up in order to join their separate groups.

"Kitten! What took ya so long?" Raph asked.

Cat shrugged.

"Ran into a pest problem."

She put an untrusting glare on the Ultimate Ninja.

"We were attacked in the Pavilion of Past Champions." Leo explained.

Cat never moved her eyes from the Daimyo's son, waiting to see a flash of something that would show he was up to something.

"Attacked? Are you two alright?"

She sensed a bit of hope, almost hoping she'd lose by forfeit because of an injury.

"Not a scratch."

'For once, it's good to disappoint someone…'

"This is terrible! I will check into the matter at once!"

'SURE you will…'

The Ultimate ninja bowed to Splinter before walking off.

A horn blew, and Splinter beckoned for them to come closer.

"The time has come. Be brave, my children. And, more importantly, be careful."

The sound of a gong made Cat look up.

'I'm too tense…I need to loosen up…'

"Let the contest BEGINE!" The Daimyo stated, his War Staff glowing.

The light from it hit the center of the arena, and making walls rise, cornering them with an opponent.

"Warriors!"

Cat looked from her opponent, a giant squid-like creature, to the Daimyo.

"First tier…BEGIN!"

A long tentacle whipped out at her, and she side-stepped the onslaught.

"Whoa! Let's not be rash!" She teased.

She jumped around her opponent, dodging tentacles and teeth, when she stuck to a wall on a crouch.

'Maybe a new trick might actually help…'

She started hand signs as fast as she dared.

"Shadow Clone jutsu!"

Ten clones of her appeared in puffs of smoke, and they jumped down.

As they battled with the tentacles, Cat waited for the perfect moment to strike.

She found it when all her opponents tentacles were busy.

She pushed off the wall, pulling back a fist.

Before her fist could strike, her opponent disappeared, and her fist struck the floor.

Once the smoke cleared, she dusted off her knuckles, looking at the crater she'd made.

"…That one's not half-bad…I've made bigger…"

Her clones disappeared in puffs of smoke, and she smiled at the applause.

She sat down leisurely, a grin on her face, when the walls went down.

She flipped to her feet, looking around.

'Where's Donnie?'

"Champions, I commend you on your victories so far!" The Daimyo stated.

"And now, prepare yourselves! The next round! Tier two!"

A strange liquid moved over them, transporting them into close quarters with their next opponent.

"Well…you're sure a stinker, aren't you?"

The claw on a chain flew at her, and she caught hold of the metal.

"Wrong move."

Electricity raced across the slick surface, smacking into her opponent and sending him flying back.

He seemed to regain his balance and charged at her.

"You want this to end fast?"

She dodged his fist easily, almost dancing away from his blows.

She got behind him, tapping his shoulder.

He turned.

"Got ya."

He flew back from a fist in the face, smacking into a wall, and rubbed his head.

Hand signs.

"Shadow Clone jutsu!"

She only made five clones this time, and they ran in a circle around her opponent so fast they were a single blur.

In a flash, one of them kicked him into the air, the others kicking and punching him further into the air.

One appeared behind him, and she kicked him straight back to the ground, making him disappear.

Her heel created a crater, and she stood up.

"Well, that's that."

A dart flew, hitting her neck, and she poofed away.

The real one looked up, narrowed eyes looking for a culprit.

'Someone's trying to do me in…Probably sent the assassins, too…'

Her heart constricted.

'Aw, shell…Leo!'

She looked around, trying to sense him.

'Please be okay, aniki…please…'


	46. Chapter 46

Cat felt sure something was wrong

Cat felt sure something was wrong.

Something was REALLY wrong…

She tried to reach out to him, but when she did, a pain hit her so hard she nearly staggered back.

The walls went down, and she looked at the small group that was left.

"Raphie! Mikey! You guys made it!"

"Kitty!"

"Kitten!"

"The eight finalists are to meet back here in one megaquargon!"

"…OKAY…It would be nice if I knew how long that was…" Cat muttered.

"Leo and Don must be kickin' themselves for not makin' the cut." Raph stated.

'If you guys make fun of them…they'll do something to you…and you won't like it…'

"But, OF COURSE, I would never be so unsportsman-like as to rub it in their faces." Mikey replied.

"…I would…"

Mikey chuckled.

"Me, too. You in, Kitty?"

"Not for the insults, but I'm in for finding them."

They walked into the actual city.

"Make way! Battle Nexus finalists, coming through!"

SMACK!!

"OW!! KITTY…"

"Don't be so LOUD…You hurt my ears, you little loudmouth."

She glared when Mikey seemed ready to open his mouth.

She heard someone, and turned to the shadows.

She quirked an eye-ridge at the rhino.

"What do you want?"

"Do you want to place a wager on me for the next round? I'm the favorite three to one."

Cat smirked.

"Sorry, but I'm gonna be winning, tough guy."

"Says you…"

SMACK!!

"OW!! KITTY, STOP THAT!!"

"Try to swindle some other idiot." Cat stated, grabbing Mikey.

"Well, then maybe you should get in. You're at the odds fifty to one."

Cat stopped.

"Really? 'Cause I thought the odds would be better…"

"Such odds are against women in these tournaments…"

"Then shove your horn up your butt and watch me beat you up."

With a glare that said the conversation was over, she pulled Mikey behind her.

"We need ta find Leo, Don an' Splinter." Raph stated.

"I know…"

"Yeah! Wouldn't want them to miss my Battle Nexus triumph! Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee! Who be the turtle? The turtle be me!"

Mikey hit a cart, covering someone with goop.

She moved over, looking sympathetic as he said something to Mikey.

"…I think he's mad, bro…" Cat noted.

Mikey decided to push the little alien…

Who grew…

"…Mikey…You are an idiot…"

Cat smacked her forehead.

"You know what, where I come from, 'puny little shrimp' is a form of endearment? My brothers call me that all the time."

He looked at Raph pleadingly.

"Isn't that right, Raph? 'You puny little shrimp'?"

"If yer lookin' fer help from me, yer lookin' in the wron' place, Mikey."

The floaty man appeared, stating that the finals were about to begin.

"Okay, then I'll just take this…"

Cat pulled Mikey free.

"And be going…"

They were soon in the arena.

"Warriors, it's time for the next round!"

A floating battle arena appeared, and Cat whistled.

"Now THAT'S a nice place to fight…"

She saw the Ultimate Ninja on his father's balcony, and glared.

'What happened to the Daimyo?'

"It is my deepest regret to tell you all that our beloved Daimyo will not make it."

Cat perked.

'H-He'll die?'

"But we will continue the contest. It is what my father would have wanted…"

Cat snorted, and caught Mikey's curious look.

"…It's nothing…" She muttered, turning to the gnocchi.

"Your next opponent will be chosen by random lottery."

The gnocchi made a strange sphere of water.

Cat sighed, stepping forward.

"Might as well get it over with…"

Reaching in, she pulled out a knife with a red tag.

She smiled, turning to her brothers.

"Aw, it's my favorite color!"

Ignoring Mikey as he made smoochy faces and got smacked upside the head, Cat looked for her opponent.

"Hey, rhino-boy."

She smirked.

"Maybe you should change your bets."

"I should've put more money on myself…"

Her smirk widened.

"Not everything is as it appears…"

Soon, they were transported to their little slice of the arena.

Cat drew her blades, calmly watching her opponents.

'I can't lose here…I can't…'

The 'rhino' charged, sword drawn.

'Too easy.'

In a flash, her blades blocked his, and she kicked him away.

"And I thought these fights were supposed to be tough…" She teased.

In a flash, she was striking blows almost too fast to see, her opponent hardly able to keep up.

"Can't keep up?"

Her foot shot out, knocking his feet out from under him.

"Then stay down."

"You're tougher than you look…that scar should've told me…"

Her right arm twitched, the scars catching the light.

"…Are we gonna fight or are gonna sit here jabbering all day?"

Side-stepping a lethal swipe, Cat grabbed him by the back of his shirt and flung him into a wall.

She froze, however, when she felt eyes trained on her.

She could almost feel the evil pricking at her skin.

She shook herself free when her opponent lashed out again, barely missing her thigh.

"Time to end this…"

Her blades pulsed with electricity, and she moved in for the finishing blow.

Her opponent disappeared in a flash of blue, and she put her weapons on her belt.

Turning, she could almost hear Mikey's cheers before they were teleported to the ground again.

Looking around, she knew one thing for sure…

'Raphie's mad…REALLY mad…'


	47. Chapter 47

"Fate will pair you for the next round

"Fate will pair you for the next round." The gnocchi stated, opening a portal.

Mikey seemed hesitant to go through.

"Come on, bro. What's the worst that could happen?"

"I could get paired with that big purple guy…"

Cat rolled her eyes.

"If he messes with you, just tell me and I'll beat him up for you."

"…You're the best big sister in the whole multi-verse…"

"Aw, thanks."

She smiled reassuringly, patting his shoulder.

"Don't be so tense. You'll do fine."

She then turned and walked through the portal, and faced the giant purple alien Mikey was so scared of…

"Hey, big guy. I think you've been messing with my little brother."

"What are you going to do about it, small fry?"

She clenched her fists, eyes hardening.

"…You are SO going down…"

Pulling out her blades, she jumped up.

Their weapons clashed, and she used his as leverage to flip over him and kick the back of his knees.

He fell with a grunt, and she jumped on his back.

With a grunt of effort, she got him in a headlock, pulling his head back.

"Let this be a warning. Don't mess with me."

He disappeared in a flash of light, and Cat looked up to see Mikey's fight.

'Come on, bro…come on…'

When the other fighter disappeared, a smile spread across her face.

"Hey, bro. Look who's here."

Mikey's own smile fell.

"…Aw shell…"

The gnocchi sent them to the final battlefield, rimmed by burning torches.

"You'll go easy on me, won't you?"

Cat pulled out her blades, twirling them expertly.

"…Can't you at least make it painless?"

"I can't promise anything, bro."

Throwing one of her blades like a shuriken, she ran in.

Mikey knocked the weapon away, barely dodging the second blade.

Retrieving her weapon, Cat lashed out at her brother.

She didn't want to actually HURT him, so she allowed her blades to be blocked.

"Kitty…how much do you want to win?"

"You know how much I hate to lose…" She replied, her high-kick blocked by his forearm.

"Besides, I rather like my soul being mine."

A cry made her pause, and a heavy body collided into her side.

With a surprised squeak, her shell hit the ground.

That's when she realized what the large projectile WAS…

"Ultimate Ninja?!"

She shoved him off roughly, jumping away as a dragon-like creature jumped into the arena.

'Drako…'

"The War Staff!"

Dodging a blast from the weapon, she saw the gnocchi get blasted as well.

"HEY!!"

Running in low, she delivered a powerful uppercut.

"Why not hit someone who can hit back?"

The dragon stood up, growling, before pouncing on her.

He pinned her to the ground on her shell.

"You should be on MY side…seeking power…"

"Not interested." She spat, glaring.

A strange silver liquid seemed to seep out of his teeth.

"Then I'll just have to force you…"

His teeth clamped down on her left shoulder, causing her to cry out.

Whatever was coming out of Drako's teeth was flooding into her, and it burned intensely.

"KITTEN!!"

Cat snapped out of pain-filled trance by Raph's alarmed voice, and she punched the dragon-like creature in the face.

His hold was wrenched loose, and he flew off, her blood dripping from his mouth as she gripped her shoulder in pain.

Raph ran to her side, looking worried at all the blood that was traveling down her arm.

Touching her cheek lightly, he caught her attention through the pained fog in her head.

"Are ya 'kay?"

"I'm fine…get the War Staff…" She forced out through gritted teeth.

"…But, Kitten-."

"Just go! They need your help."

Hesitantly, he obeyed, seeing the sense, and Cat drew a shuriken.

"You want a taste, Drako?" She muttered, pulling back her arm.

She loosed the projectile in a flash.

"Taste this!"

The War Staff glowed red, shooting a beam of crimson light at the sky and opening a rift before the shuriken connected.

It flew through the air, skidding on the ground.

The four turtle brothers, Usagi, the Ultimate Ninja, and Drako jumped to grab it.

Cat growled.

'They won't make it!'

Ignoring the pain flaring through her, she jumped and kicked both Drako and the Ultimate Ninja away.

The group left still missed the War Staff, landing in a pile and causing it to skid further away.

Raph got up before the rift started trying to pull them in.

Raph ran for the War Staff, stabbing his sai over it to keep it in place.

Cat used her strength to stab her right fist into the ground, anchoring her in place.

Traximus used his ax to do the same, and caught Don, who in turn grabbed Usagi.

The rabbit samurai then grabbed Leo, who caught the Ultimate Ninja.

Drako managed to get a hold of the Daimyo's sons leg, and Mikey used a 'chuck to stay anchored to the ground.

Raph slipped the War Staff free, throwing it to Splinter on the sidelines.

Their sensei then handed it to a wounded Daimyo.

Cat perked when she heard fighting from above, and Leo yelling for it to stop.

'Those two will get them all killed!'

Pulling her fist free, she ran towards the line of floating bodies only to have Raph grab hold of her wrist.

"Ya can't help 'em now! Ya'll get yerself killed!"

He pulled her to his side, feeling her blood, which had stopped flowing so steadily, on his plastron as she buried her face in his neck, fiery pain burning in her shoulder like lava.

Suddenly, they weren't floating anymore, and she crashed onto Raph with her right shoulder.

Getting up slowly, she noticed two presences were missing…

'Ultimate Ninja and Drako…'

Standing up straight and putting a hand on her shoulder, she hissed as a cool breeze swept over the open wound.

"My daughter, are you alright?"

Cat smiled reassuringly at her elderly father as he pressed bandages to the wound.

"I'll just need it bandaged and I can fight again…If you can fight with a broken leg, I can sure as shell fight with a bitten shoulder."

Splinter smiled proudly as he wrapped up the bite mark.

'She's as stubborn as ever…But that's what makes her so strong…'

Once that was done, Cat turned to her youngest brother, who twirled his 'chucks warily.

"I've got an idea. You want in?"

"What's the idea?" Mikey asked curiously, stopping in his twirling.

"We strike finishing blows at the same time. Then it'll be a tie."

Mikey nodded, not wanting to fight his seriously-wounded protector.

"Alright."

Cat pulled out one of her blades, and walked up to her orange-banded brother.

"When I say three, we strike. Got it?"

He gulped, nodding, as his 'chuck whirled near her head and her blade rested near his neck.

"One…"

Mikey tensed.

"Two…"

Cat was trying to control her breathing as best she could.

"Three!"

Both disappeared in flashes of light, reappearing on the Daimyo's balcony, the others behind them.

The Daimyo put laurel leaves on their heads.

"Congratulations! Michelangelo, Caterina, you are both Battle Nexus Champions."

They were presented with the trophy, but Cat let her youngest brother hold it.

"I have nowhere to put it, and you made it that far anyway. I'm proud of you, otouto."

They were about to go, but Cat turned to Usagi.

"Thank you, Usagi-san. For protecting my brothers."

"It was no problem at all. I am glad to help a fellow warrior in need."

She smiled.

"I'm still in your debt. Until next time."

The Battle Nexus Tournament trophy glowed, and the Daimyo sent the home.

Raph seemed glum, and Cat looked at him curiously.

"What's up?"

"Ya seemed pretty chummy with that samurai…"

Cat nearly laughed.

"Is that what this is about? He saved me and Leo from assassins in the Pavilion of Past Champions. I owe him a debt."

Raph seemed reassured, and turned to their youngest brother.

Mikey seemed so happy he might start bouncing off the walls.

"Ha! I'm Battle Nexus Champion! ME! Not YOU!"

"Ya only won 'cause Kitten didn't wanna be stuck wit' yer kicked puppy-dog face." Raph retorted.

"You're just saying that because I BEAT you!"

Raph tackled the orange-banded turtle, Leo and Don trying to save the victim.

Cat sighed, shaking her head in amusement.

'It's good to be home…'

Yuki purred as she rubbed against the white-banded turtle's leg imploringly.

Scooping up the little white kitten in her right hand, she scratched behind the little ears.

She was rewarded with a happy purr, and she smiled.

'…Why do I get the feeling something bad is going to happen?'

Cat's gut answered, twisting itself into knots.

'Because something BAD is about to happen…'


	48. Season 3: Chapter 48

It was so dark…

It was so dark…

And late…

And her two youngest insomniac brothers were up playing video games!

"Will you two shut that off before-!"

Cat stopped when the lights shut off.

"Aw, not another blackout! My high score!"

Cat smacked Mikey upside the head, even though he was upside-down.

"Chill, bro. It's not the end of the world."

"Exactly." Don agreed.

He got the power back up, and all the TV's turned on to the news.

Cat growled, eyes flashing red when she saw the ships.

"Triceratons…"

"My children, it is very important that you all stay in the lair-."

Cat couldn't hear him anymore.

She was already gone.

They were soon topside and hidden on a roof.

"Damn dinosaurs…" Cat growled.

"I hate those guys! We've got ta stop 'em!"

"What can we do against an entire invasion?" Don questioned.

"…It's the end of the world as we know it…and I don't feel fine…"

Cat rolled her eyes.

"I say we do what we can. I'm not letting these horn-heads take us over without a nasty fight."

She flinched slightly as Leo put a hand on her still-tender left shoulder.

The bite had left a scar, a near perfect circle over her shoulder, and it had hardly healed.

They jumped down into a dark alley.

"I don't get it…in all the planets in all the galaxies, why here?" Don muttered.

"Why Earth?"

"Maybe the 'Prime Leader' is still mad we took his ship for a joyride." Cat suggested.

Raph chuckled.

"It WAS a pretty sweet ride…"

"I don't think this is about us. We're not important enough for them to travel half-way across the universe." Leo interjected.

"Hey, speak for yourselves! Me and Kitty are considered pretty bad hombres throughout the entire galaxy."

Mikey smiled.

"Remember, I'M a Battle Nexus Champion!"

SMACK!!

"OW!!"

"RAPH!!"

Cat shut everyone's traps as orders in a Triceraton voice reached them from the alley mouth.

They hid in the shadows, but Cat was closer, sticking to a wall.

She heard one say something about a certain particle being concentrated on a building, and that they were going to check it out.

They blasted through a wall, scaring the wits out of a poor old lady.

'…Another thing to add to my list of reasons why I should shock their tails…'

"We may not be able to save the world, but we sure as shell can save that old lady!" Leo stated.

Cat nodded, jumping off the wall.

Running across the rooftops at top speed was often crazy and careless for her, what with the speed she was going at, but she couldn't afford to do anything half-shelled now.

This was the fate of Earth, of humans, of her own family, that she could be working for.

When it came down to it, she was probably more hard-headed than Raph.

Jumping into the air in a freefall, she landed on the platform, blades drawn.

The Triceraton's seemed wary, and one put the old lady, now unconscious, down.

With a teasing wave, she jumped off, and smiled when she saw Leo jump off with the old woman.

As the platform came back, Mikey, Don, and Raph jumped on, Mikey kicking a Triceraton clean off.

Cat jumped up, landing light as a feather.

"It's not nice to invade Mr. Roger's neighborhood."

Raph easily disarmed the Triceraton, flipping over him before kicking him in the back.

Once he stayed down, Cat looked around.

"Hey, guys! Their friends are coming back!"

"Brilliant…" Cat muttered.

Lasers blasted at them, and Mikey steered the platform out of the fire.

Mikey steered it straight at the Triceraton's, and Cat tensed her legs.

'Wait for it…Wait for it…'

The two vehicles were a few yards away.

The turtles jumped off, and the crash was loud as they landed on the rooftops.

They headed back to the others in time for the old woman to wake up…

Which was a scream and more fainting…

"…I think what she meant was 'thanks for the rescue'." Mikey stated.

A platform went by, people on it.

"Why would the Triceraton's be rounding up civilians?" Leo questioned.

"Don't look at me. Look at the shell-answer man 'ere." Raph replied, and everyone looked at Don.

"Well, first off, it looks like the Triceraton's are only rounding up CERTAIN civilians…whoa…"

The scanner he had blinked.

"Seems that whatever the Triceraton's are scanning for…We're full of it…"

"…NICE…"

Raph chuckled.

"No surprise there. Mikey's always been full 'a it."

Cat froze.

"…Aw shell…YUKI!!"

She started for a manhole cover.

"Cat, you shouldn't!"

"She's a little baby cat, Leo! She can't fight Triceratons!"

"…Why would Triceraton's find her?" Don asked warily.

"…Well, you know how you keep telling me to stop being so adventurous?"

They all nodded.

"…Well…you should start telling HER that…"

"…Okay, so we've got an adventurous…small…little kitten loose…Great…" Mikey muttered.

They went to look for the little kitten, and saw a message from the Prime Leader on the TV.

He was demanding the Fugitoid for the fate of Earth.

"They're looking for the Fugitoid…" Cat muttered.

"But Professor Egghead ain't on Earth no more…" Raph added.

They moved away from the window, climbing onto the roof.

"Judging from the tracking device they're using, the Triceraton's followed the trans-ionic residue of the Transmat." Don stated.

"They thought it was the Fugitoid's Teleportal."

"But his Teleportal doesn't work, remember? We built it. It was a dud." Mikey reminded.

"…So they're here to get someone who's NOT here to get an invention that doesn't even WORK…NICE…" Cat summarized.

That's when Leo's Shell Cell went off.

It was April.

When Leo seemed to lose the call, Cat got even more worried.

"Is she okay, bro?"

"They've got Casey and April. They're taking them to Central Park."

"Then why are we 'ere twiddlin' our shells? Let's get movin'!" Raph stated.

They headed off to Central Park.

'PLEASE don't be there, Yuki…Of ALL places, PLEASE don't be there!'

She was soon there, her feet making her swifter, and she hid in the trees.

Looking around, she glared.

"They're in there…I can sense them…" She whispered softly to her brothers.

"Nice, a portable Alcatraz. Now everyone will want one." Mikey stated.

"Let's get ready ta kick some shell." Raph stated hotly.

"Hold it, Raph. We're way outnumbered. We need to use our heads." Leo objected.

"Guess that leaves Mikey out…" Raph muttered.

"You know, if all those people were freed at once, there'd be a lot of confusion…" Mikey noted.

"…Mikey had a good idea?" Raph asked.

"…Mikey had a good idea…" Leo answered.

"…It really IS the end of the world…" Cat muttered.

"Donnie, how do we get that shield down?" Leo asked their smartest brother.

"Well…see that?"

He pointed to the platform at the top.

"I think the cage is triangulated by those three floating platforms. If we knock out one, the whole thing should come down."

Leo nodded.

"Raph, Mikey, create a diversion while Don and I try to get close enough to take down one of those platforms. Cat, you stay hidden as back-up. You're our secret weapon."

"Nice to know." Cat replied, smiling, before she jumped higher into a tree.

A carrier went through the force field.

'Uh oh…that can't be good…' Cat thought, senses pricking.

They started rounding up the humans, and Cat focused her energy into her legs, jumping high and landing lightly on a platform.

'Okay, keep cool…This shouldn't be too hard…'

A meow caught her off-guard.

'YUKI!!'

She looked INTO the force field.

'Aw shell! Of all the frickin' places-!'

She punched through the platform's engine as Leo slashed up the others.

Jumping off, she landed on the carrier.

"Hey, boys. Miss me?"

A hiss of pain made her muscles tense.

One Triceraton was holding Yuki by the scruff of her neck, making her yowl in pain.

"HEY!!"

With a jump, she kicked him in the chest, catching the kitten.

"Leave the cat alone, you big bullies! Just 'cause she's a mammal doesn't mean you have the right to hurt her!"

She jumped back to stand beside Don.

"Doing okay, bro?"

"Yeah."

A laser blast sounded, hitting him in the back.

"DONNIE!!"

Cat whirled around, barely dodging the second blast.

"Sneaky basturds!" She snarled, shocking a Triceraton with a palm to the heart.

Though, with one hand holding the kitten, she was handicapped, she still put up a nasty fight before they pinned her, removing the struggling feline.

Tying her hands behind her shell, they hefted her to her feet.

"You cause us a problem, and this little one will be paying the price." One threatened.

"You hurt my family, friends, or pet, and you'll be wondering if you still have your manhood."

The door to the carrier closed, and she heard April's voice as banging hit the metal.

'…She'll be okay…the others will take good care of her and Casey…'

A savage snarl escaped her when they grabbed an unconscious Don roughly, and she saw the wary fear.

'I'm not going to go down without a fight…Not if my family's still in trouble…'

She closed her eyes, and her palms sparked.

'I can at least promise that…'


	49. Chapter 49

When Don woke up and got a breather, they were led by two Triceraton's into what looked like a throne room

When Don woke up and got a breather, they were led by two Triceraton's into what looked like a throne room.

'…Not impressed…' Cat thought bitterly, keeping an eye on her younger brother and Yuki.

They started walking up some high stairs, and Cat sighed.

'Haven't Triceratons heard of elevators? Sheesh…'

They stopped, and Cat crossed her arms defiantly when she saw the familiar Prime Leader and his head general.

He walked down, and Cat itched to get her blades from the Triceraton that held her weapons and her pet.

"Bow to the Prime Leader." One ordered, hitting their shells.

Cat stayed stubbornly standing.

"I don't kneel to anyone but my sensei." She growled.

"Kitty…"

One raised Don's Bo staff, but the Prime Leader held up a hand.

"Pride will get you hurt here, girl."

"And so can yours." She retorted sharply.

"Kitty, now might not be the time to take out your pent-up anger…" Don muttered.

"You invade Earth for the sole purpose to get the Fugitoid, but I've got a nice tidbit for you. HE'S-NOT-HERE!"

Cat rolled her eyes.

"If people keep telling you that its not here, I'd start believing them."

"If YOU won't tell us…"

He turned to Don.

"Tell us where the Fugitoid is!"

"I don't know!"

"Enough lies!"

"I'm not! The Fugitoid's not on Earth."

The Prime Leader lifted him up.

"Enough! Tell us where the Fugitoid is or else!"

"Put him down before I make you!" Cat warned.

The Triceraton holding her Bo wrapped his arms around her chest, pinning her arms to her sides and lifting her into the air.

"PUT ME DOWN!! YOU UNGRATEFUL, DISHONORABLE MAGGOT OF A REPTILE!! I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE I'M EVEN CLOSE TO THE SAME SPECIES AS YOU DISGUSTING THINGS!!"

He squeezed her, and she stopped yelling in favor of breathing.

That's when he turned on the TV…

'Aw shell…'

"Hey, we save somebody and now WE'RE the bad guys? We sent him off!" Cat stated, still struggling.

When he flung Don to the side, electricity sparked from her palms.

"…Shell no…"

The Triceraton holding her fell back from the jolt, and she landed, kicking the one holding her pet and blades.

Catching them, she turned to the Prime Leader.

"Still want to mess with Earth?"

The general grabbed Don.

"Try anything and he gets it." He warned.

Her eyes flashed red, and her skin rippled to silvery/green scales for a moment.

With a grunt of annoyance, she dropped the blades, Yuki on her shoulder.

"…Hurt him, and you'll wish I didn't have super strength, you overgrown lizards…" She snarled.

Crossing her arms, she glared defiantly, and Yuki hissed, hiding behind her neck when the Triceraton general growled.

"Yeah, scaring a little kitten makes you a big tough guy…" Cat stated sarcastically.

The two turtle's hands were bound with familiar glowing handcuffs, and they were forced onto their knees.

The eyes were trained on, as if she was the general and they shouldn't expect important information from flunkies.

"I'll you pea-brained lizards one more time…The-Fugitoid-Is-Not-On-Earth."

Cat smirked.

"Was that slow enough for you?"

Yuki hid behind her shell as the large Triceraton general lifted her up by her bound wrists.

"Our brains may be small, terrapin, but our tracking equipment does not lie."

The large screen showed a beam of energy leading to Earth.

"The posotronic beam came here."

"He was here, but he left!" Don answered, hoping to save his sister pain.

"Then where did he go?" The Prime Leader questioned.

"I can't tell you that." Cat retorted.

"Can't? Or WON'T?"

Cat smirked.

"Normally, I'd say both, but that would be a lie. I'd have to go with 'won't'."

She stuck her tongue out childishly.

"And you can't make me!"

"Actually, us 'pea-brained lizards' can…"

A helmet was put on her head, sending a powerful jolt of electricity through her head.

"With our Triceraton Mind Probe, you'll show us everything you know!"

Cat struggled, and they thought it was from pain until she laughed.

"G-Get it off! I-It tickles!"

Her natural bio-electric current was blocking off her mind from intrusion, but the Triceraton's got a few memories.

One of which was a secret she was still hiding from half of her brothers…

The mind probe sparked and smoked, and Cat pulled it off with a relieved sigh.

She caught the surprised look on Don's face.

"What?"

She looked up at the screen.

"…Holy shell and mother of Jesus…"

Cat blushed hotly, moving her eyes from the picture of her and Raph kissing to the ground.

"…I'd explain, but my heart is hammering my voice box…"

Standing up, she shook her shoulders, sparks falling like dust.

A hand roughly grabbed her left shoulder, and she hissed in pain from her tender scar.

"If YOU won't tell me, then perhaps your BROTHER will…"

When the helmet was put on his head and Don cried out in pain, Cat lunged out of her capture's grip and ran to his side.

"Donnie, you hold on! Do you hear me, bro?"

Electricity danced across her skin as she put her hands on the helmet, closing her eyes.

'Sensei, we need you…Donnie needs you…'

Her hands sparked more violently.

'Come on, you stupid helmet…come off…'

Her skin rippled to silvery-green scales as more electricity rushed out of her

'Come on, damn it…'

She felt something snap.

'Come on!'

The helmet fumed and sparked, and she pulled it off, throwing it in favor of catching her brother.

"You okay, Donnie-boy?" She asked soothingly, using her childhood name for her purple-banded brother.

"I'll be fine…"

Helping him stand, Cat glared at an angry Prime Leader.

'Do your worst, horn-head…'

"We'll just have to use other methods…"

He turned on the screen again, showing what looked like a mini Triceraton home world cutting out a piece of New York.

"Your brothers are down there, correct?"

Cat growled.

"If you continue to be stubborn, we'll have to go down there and find your brothers…"

He smirked.

"And destroy them…"

Yuki climbed up onto Cat's shoulder, feeling safer.

Cat snorted.

"I'd like to see you try…" She growled.

'And if you do, you'll be missing your hide…'

"Kitty…"

Don was picked up bodily by the Triceraton general.

The cut piece of New York was being LIFTED into the air!

"Leave the Earth alone, for Christ's sake!" Cat stated, exasperated and nearly mad enough to beat them up.

"Can't you just scan for the Fugitoid's posotronic energy signature or something?" Don asked.

"How stupid do you think we are? Posotronic energy signatures are common!"

"Not on Earth." Cat retorted.

"Our technology isn't advanced enough." Don added.

"What?!"

Zanrimar turned to his 'underling'.

"Why wasn't I told?!"

"W-Well, we just as-assumed…"

"Triceratons assume nothing but victory!! Now scan the planet!!"

The screen now showed Earth, and the scan began slowly.

"This had better not be a delay plan so your brothers can sneak in." He warned.

"They wouldn't be caught dead here." Cat assured icily.

The door on the other side of the room opened.

"Prime Leader, we found these three onboard."

She turned.

"…Aw shell…"

Cat smacked her forehead.

"NICE ONE, guys…"

"Wouldn't be caught dead here, huh? Well, they've been caught!"

"I see THAT…I'm not blind…" She retorted sharply as her brothers were herded up.

"Now I can punish you all for your crimes against the Triceraton Republic. And don't think I've forgotten about my personal space cruiser!"

"And don't think I have. That was a nice ride…"

The blaster he held was aimed at her chest.

"…You Triceratons have no sense of humor…"

"Your highness, wouldn't it be best to prolong their suffering in your private torture chamber?" The guard suggested.

"That's perfect. Take them there at once."

Cat would've struggled like a cat being grabbed for a bath if she hadn't caught Raph's eyes.

She could almost feel the understanding flow into her as the signs fit together like jigsaw puzzles.

'Alright, then…They'd better not be playing with me, though…'

The struggle she put up for show was her weakest, though she must've had some real force behind it without meaning to.

They went into the hallway, and Cat stopped her struggles when she realized they were alone.

"Nice rescue plan, guys…" Don stated sarcastically.

The guard pressed a button, releasing the handcuffs from their wrists, before removing his helmet.

"Monzaram? …Okay, open mouth, insert foot…"

Cat rubbed her wrists, holding Yuki cradled in her arms.

"We should give them more credit, Donnie. They came up with a pretty good plan without us."

She faked a sniffle.

"I'm so proud…"

"Nothing can stop the Battle Nexus Champion!"

SMACK!!

"OW!!"

"I'M a Battle Nexus Champion too, shell-for-brains. Don't feel so high and mighty."

Cat rolled her eyes at the puppy-dog pout she received, and everyone headed into the sewers.

"…It never fails…" Cat muttered, walking through the water.

"I know, Kitten…"

They came out at the holding docks, hiding behind crates.

"We'll need a distraction if we're going to nab a ride." Cat whispered.

Monzaram nodded, using the blaster he'd gotten to shoot up some gas tanks.

They caught on fire, looking ready to explode.

"Go!" He ordered.

Cat nodded, jumping onto the crates and shooting a couple Triceraton's with blasts of electricity from her hands.

"Hey, look! The Prime Leader's personal space cruiser."

She smiled innocently at her brothers.

"Can we steal it?"

"He'd be insulted if we didn't." Raph replied, and they all ran in.

"I'm sure we can fly this thing. We did before." Mikey assured.

"Professor Honeycutt flew last time. And I'm not trusting YOU with the controls. You might crash us through a building!"

She saw the look Raph and Leo shared…

"…You didn't…"

"Um…well…We had no other choice!" Leo defended as Don started up the cruiser.

"So you went on a suicide trip?! What was going through your head?!"

"HEY…I'm not THAT bad of a pilot…"

"I beg ta differ, Mikey." Raph retorted.

Cat rolled her eyes, buckling up, anticipating a bumpy ride.

Don started up the engine, and they flew out a bit clumsily.

Flying out of the floating building and into open space did little to calm the white-banded turtle's nerves.

Yuki hissed as a strange sphere of energy started following right behind them.

No matter how many turns, flips, or corkscrews Don pulled off, it stayed on their tail.

"It's one of those smart weapons!"

"Then we'd better use its smarts to our advantage, Donnie!" Cat replied, holding the little white kitten to her chest.

Two more spheres were fired, grouping with the first.

"Now would be a great time for a plan, bro!" Mikey yelled.

Don steered them towards Earth, straight for the ship that looked like a mini Triceraton home world that was pulling a piece of New York out of the ground.

'Master Splinter…April…Casey…'

The purple-banded turtle flew them straight inside, the energy spheres flying after them greedily.

Speeding by the core, Don flew them out into open air before it exploded.

The piece of upraised land moved back into place, and the five turtles cheered.

"YES! Take THAT, you shell-for-brains dinosaurs!"

Raph chuckled, his arm around her shoulders.

"We did alright fer a few turtles…"

"We saved the WORLD, Raphie. It's not like anything could go wrong now."

She looked out the windshield to see the Triceratons retreating.

'…Why do I feel like I just jinxed us?'


	50. Chapter 50

Flying over New York in the Prime Leader's personal space cruiser as the Triceraton's retreated was one of the top ten best things to EVER happen to Cat…

Flying over New York in the Prime Leader's personal space cruiser as the Triceraton's retreated was one of the top ten best things to EVER happen to Cat…

"You know, saving the human race gives me a warm fuzzy feeling deep down in my shell…" Don stated.

Cat was pretty sure they sped by April and Casey kissing in her van…

"The last thing we need right now is to be the center of attention." Leo stated.

"Leo, we're flyin' an eighty ton imperial space cruiser down 5th Avenue. It's kinda hard ta keep it on the down-low." Raph replied.

Cat rolled her eyes.

Mikey's Shell Cell began to ring, and he picked it up.

"This is the Mikey Part Line! What's up?"

Cat smacked her forehead.

'I can't believe he's my brother…'

"Professor Honeycutt? No way! Hang on, I'll put you on speaker!"

Pressing a button, the speaker turned on.

"We were just talking about you! Your ears must be burning!" Mikey stated.

"Not so. My ears are a steel alloy, and it would have to be over 125 hundred thousand degrees Fahrenheit for combusting to occur." The professors voice said clearly through the speaker.

"Um…that's not exactly what I meant…"

"Professor, your inter-stellar signal is so clear! It sounds like you're only a mile away." Don noted.

"Oh, not a mile, Donatello. I'm at least 2.1 miles away. At the site of the TCRI building."

Everything froze…

"…Tell me that idiot isn't on Earth before I'm forced to take drastic measures…"

"HERE? On EARTH?" Leo questioned in disbelief.

"Oh boy…" Raph muttered.

"We'll be right there, professor. Don't you dare move." Cat ordered, standing.

Yuki meowed, purring.

"Mikey, you'll need to cover her eyes when we get there…And let's say this is a 'Heat of the moment' killing…"

"Donnie, we need to hide this thing! Pronto!" Leo ordered.

Heading for the TCRI buildings old location, Don hid the cruiser and they hid in the shadows from the sunlight.

Vaulting over a wall around the sight, she saw Honeycutt sitting on the edge of a hole in the ground.

"…I'm going to strangle you…" She threatened, Yuki in the crook of her arm.

Her brother's jumped over the obstacle as well, and they ran to Honeycutt's side.

"It is ever so good to see my friends again!"

"I'd say the same, but…The Triceratons are here looking for you!" Cat replied.

"I know. That is why I am here. To give myself up. I have just broadcast a message to the Triceraton's Prime Leader."

He saw the surprise and anger in vivid violet eyes as she grabbed his shoulder, making a hand mold with her strength.

"…You did WHAT?"

"Professor, are you crazy? Do you know what the Triceratons will DO to you?" Don asked, and Cat released her hold, feeling her skin prick and a pressure against the inside of her shell.

"And what they'll do with your knowledge of Utrom technology?" Leo added.

"Never fear, friends. I have already wiped my memory clean of any vital information." Honeycutt answered.

"But, professor, they'll take you APART finding that out!" Don reasoned.

"I'm rather hoping they do. I've made a bit of a surprise for them."

"Great, just what we need! The professor's off his shell!"

"We'll think of something. Donnie, how long until the Triceraton's get here?" Leo asked.

"Well, I'd have to say…roughly about…2 seconds!!"

A platform, bearing Triceratons, and guards were flying down.

Lasers were fired, and Cat pulled Yuki to her chest to shield her from the blasts.

Moving into the center with Honeycutt, she aimed a sphere of electricity at a guard.

"Pull!"

The Triceraton was smacked right out of the air.

Honeycutt moved out of the protective circle, calling attention to himself.

"PROFESSOR!!"

Cat tackled him, lasers missing them.

"Stop being crazy!" She ordered, glaring.

"I'm giving myself up!"

"Like I said…STOP BEING CRAZY!!"

Standing up, she pulled him up with her free hand and tossed him over her scar-free shoulder.

"Where to, Leo?"

The Triceraton's landed, and their lasers broke a green wall.

"…That way?"

Cat high-tailed it through, a protesting Honeycutt over one shoulder and a frightened Yuki in her other arm.

Heading for a manhole cover, her brothers behind her, she skidded to a stop when a guard landed over it.

"You should've done as you were told, terrapin weaklings."

Leo and Raph kicked him into a wall, and Don pulled off the cover and they all jumped down.

Running through the sewers, Cat tried to tune out Honeycutt.

"I assure you, my friends, I have not fried my circuits! I know what I am doing! You must let me go!"

They stopped at a dead end.

"I have calculated the odds. I am 99.95 certain my plan will not fail!"

"At what cost, professor?" Leo asked, trying to reason as Cat put the Fugitoid down.

"Just give us some time to think of a plan! And, PLEASE, stop giving away our location!" Leo continued.

"Oh, but I'm not! They've found us unaided."

Silence…

And Cat smacked her forehead…

"…I may know why…" She stated sheepishly.

"Yeah…I kinda showed the Triceraton's how to scan for the Fugitoid bodies posotronic energy signature…It was the only way to convince them that the professor wasn't on Earth!" Don stated.

"Well, he's on Earth now…" Raph replied.

"How accurate IS this scan? Miles? City blocks?" Leo questioned.

"…Inches…"

Drawing their weapons, Cat saw a light.

"…I wish you hadn't made it so accurate, bro…"

Hiding in the shadows, making Yuki stay silent, and watch the professor get caught was all that Cat needed to blow her patience to shit.

Jumping into the sneak attack, she shocked a Triceraton below her and kicked his side.

"Professor, next time we tell ya ta hide-!"

Raph ducked a laser.

"HIDE!!"

The three hid in the water, and Cat went through the shadows.

Carrying a wet kitten was never a wise idea…

Running alongside her brothers, she tried to telepathically tell Honeycutt to shut his mouth.

They hid in a small ditch.

"SHUT UP!!" All five shouted at once, fairly tired.

Cat plopped down into the sewer water.

"MAN…I should stop using that 'bio-electric' thing or whatever it is…" She muttered tiredly.

"We've gotta…keep moving…the Triceraton's won't stop…for a second…" Leo panted out.

"My friends, you must let me implement my plan! I can not allow the Triceraton's rampage to continue because of me!"

He seemed determined.

"I know what I must do! You can't stop me!"

He started jumping and shouting to encourage the Triceraton's to find him.

"We've got to stop him! For his own good!" Leo stated.

Cat panicked.

Her sparks flew into him as Don wrenched off his head.

"…Um…that was kinda extreme…" Mikey stated.

"I panicked!" Don and Cat said at once.

"Don, is there any way to turn off this signal the Triceratons are tracking?" Leo asked.

"Well, I could try to mask it somehow…but it's gonna take time…"

Don smiled.

"And maybe the Professor can give us a hand…"

"…Donatello, why are you looking at me like that?"

--

Revving the engine, Cat nodded to her red-banded boyfriend before both sped out of the warehouse on their Shell Cycles.

Turning to speed off in the opposite direction Raph had gone, she gripped the professor's leg tighter.

"Hope you like fast rides, professor…" She muttered, speeding up.

When two Triceraton soldiers began to fly after her, she hoped Yuki, whom she'd left with a confused Master Splinter, would stay at the lair and be safe from the aliens.

Doing a tricky turn, she shot a bolt of lightning at the aliens, hitting one, and popped a backwards wheelie before speeding under them and past a few lamp posts.

Smirking as she heard the remaining one's pursuit, Cat turned into an alley, weaving through the complicated maze with ease.

When she saw a dead end, she used a sheet of metal as a ramp to fly over.

Landing on a group of Triceratons, knocking them out cold, she took off her helmet to look at two of her brothers against a brick wall.

"Need a hand, boys?"

Raph chuckled.

"Perfect timin', Kitten."

"That's what I would expect from a fellow Battle Nexus Champion!" Mikey stated.

Rolling her eyes, Cat blasted the Triceraton trying to climb over the wall behind her brothers.

"I think we should keep movin'…" Raph muttered.

"Great idea." Cat agreed, revving her engine as Raph mounted his Shell Cycle.

Mikey jumped onto the back of her Shell Cycle, grinning.

"Mind if I join you for a ride?"

Cat returned the grin.

"Of course not! I just hope you have a barf bag…"

When her Shell Cycle flew into the air because of a make-shift trash ramp, a girly scream escaped her youngest brother as he got a death grip on her waist.

Raph sped up beside them, and smirked behind his helmet.

"He's kinda clingy, ain't he?"

"I…can't…breathe…" Cat panted out.

With the metal leg pushing into her plastron and Mikey squeezing the life out of her, it was a miracle she could find enough air to speak!

When Mikey finally loosened his hold and allowed her to breathe, Cat sighed out in relief.

"We need to head for the rendezvous point-."

She perked slightly.

'Life forces…'

Before she could try to identify where it was coming from and what it was, they'd reached Central Park.

Hiding the Shell Cycles and hoverboard, they headed over to Leo and Don.

"Who ordered the leg of robot?" Cat joked, handing over the body part.

Don rebuilt Honeycutt rather easily, and the robot seemed capable of talking and functioning again.

Cat's eyes scanned the area warily.

'Why do I feel like we're surrounded?'

Spotlights from helicopters hit them, and they saw at least three tanks, a few Jeeps, and a bunch of soldiers.

'…Because we are…'


	51. Chapter 51

'…Why does the lord hate me

'…Why does the lord hate me?'

The guns were cocked, and Cat backed up warily.

"Put your hands behind your heads and assume the position!"

Let's just say Raph doesn't know the meaning of the word 'surrender'…

When they fired at him, Cat jumped in the way, unconsciously making an electric force field.

"You guys have no manners!"

She jumped into the air, hitting three soldiers with a hurricane kick.

"Keep your lasers to yourself!"

Flipping back as more lasers were fired, she pulled out her blades.

Cutting a couple of blasters in half, she knocked the soldiers off their feet.

Joining the group surrounding Honeycutt in a protective circle, Cat thought she heard one of the men say something.

"Bishop wants the turtles alive."

'Bishop?'

A cannon charged up, blasting the group with what must've seemed like a bolt of lightning.

As her brothers and Honeycutt cried out in pain, Cat actually felt her strength returning.

But once she reached her peak, the energy just kept streaming in.

She felt like a water balloon filled with too much sewer water, and fell to her knees, her arms around her stomach.

'…Overload…'

A pressure built under her shell, growing so strong she thought she heard a crack.

Electricity escaped her skin violently, her body trying to get rid of the excess energy.

A scream escaped her as her chest tightened.

Suddenly, all that pressure, all that pain…

Was gone…

Raising her head, Cat felt fatigue fill the empty void in her chest and weigh her down.

She thought there was extra weight, but she chalked it down to paranoid bleary thought.

She was in a large, smoking crater…

'When did THIS get here?'

…Her brothers and Honeycutt were still around her, seemingly unhurt…

'Are they alive?'

…Crawling over to Raph, she grabbed his hand, a put a finger on the inside of his wrist…

'…A heartbeat…'

Her muscles started to relax…

'He's alive…he'll be okay…'

Her vision began to blur into rainbows and darkness, and she could no longer bear her own weight…

'But…the soldiers…'

Her body disobeyed her, collapsing onto the red-banded turtle's chest…

It seemed something was covering them, though

'I-I can't give up…I can't…'

Her heavy eyelids began to drift closed…

'…I won't…'

--

A bright light hit her eyelids, and Cat groaned tiredly.

'MAN, I'm stiff…'

Opening her heavy lids, she noticed two things.

One, she was tied to a large dissection table.

And two, so were her waking brothers and Honeycutt.

When she tried to generate some electricity, she noticed something else.

Her hands were encased in rubber spheres that contracted painfully over her digits, causing a burning sensation.

"OW!! Shell-damned things!!" She cursed.

"If you stop struggling, it will save you some pain, Caterina."

The monotone voice caused an instinctive snarl in her throat as her senses went on high alert.

"Where are we?" Leo asked.

"The end of the line. For you all."

"It's ME you want! Leave my friends alone!" Honeycutt stated bravely.

"Actually, professor, it's YOU I don't want."

"Who are you?" Don asked.

"Well, Donatello, I will tell. I'm the man that the government has for certain…projects…"

The needle in his hand looked pretty sharp…

"The kinds of projects that they don't want to dirty their own hands with."

"Hey, how do ya know Donnie's name? And Kitten's?"

"I know ALL of your names, Raphael. And much, much more."

'Don't mess with him, guys…please…He's bad news…REALLY bad…'

"And yet WE know nothing about YOU, not even YOUR name." Leo stated.

"How rude is THAT?" Mikey added.

"Very well, Michelangelo."

The man started up a small circular saw, walking towards the orange-banded turtle.

A protective snarl rumbled in Cat's chest.

"When you scream my name, pleading to make the pain stop, begging for mercy, you may call me Bishop."

"Hurt my brothers, and you'll be begging ME to stop the pain." Cat snarled, electricity escaping her skin more on instinct rather than thought.

"Those are some bold words coming from someone who can't even free themselves."

'Then I'll just have to do that, won't I?' She thought stubbornly, feeling the knife in her wristband.

'They do pretty crappy searches here…'

As she shifted so the blade could sink into the rubber and start cutting, she glared unwaveringly.

"I don't understand it…Everybody has always been after ME in the past…" Honeycutt stated.

"Actually, Professor Honeycutt, you're a valuable commodity." Bishop replied, circular saw gone as he headed to the only door.

"To a certain interested party…"

The door opened, showing…

"Hello, professor."

"General Blanq?!" Leo questioned, surprised.

"Great! That's the jerk that was chasin' 'im back on D'Hoonib!" Raph added.

"What does HE want?" Mikey asked.

"…He wants the Fugitoid, Mikey…stay focused…" Cat replied.

"Oh…right…"

"Escort the professor to the lab Agent Bishop has so graciously provided us with."

"Yes, sir." A Federation soldier answered, wheeling Honeycutt away.

"Alright, general, you have your robot. Our deal is concluded." Bishop stated.

"Yes. The Federation thanks you and your government for the assistants. The professor's Teleportal device will finally be ours. And with it, the Federation will finally annihilate those darn Triceratons!"

Cat stuck her tongue out, making a farting sound that was ignored.

"Our victory is at hand!"

They all started walking out, Blanq at the end of the line.

"Do as you want with the terrapins."

His laughter wasn't reassuring…

"NO-!!"

Honeycutt's voice was cut off by the door closing.

'…Well, my right hand's almost free…'

Bishop went to a keyboard, pressing some buttons, and two strange ball-shaped machines started moving down on strong poles of bending metal, strange arms and such coming out of them.

"Yer makin' a big mistake, Bishop! You can't trust that Blanq guy! He's no better than the Triceratons!"

"Federation, Triceratons…It makes little difference to me…I help one destroy the other…"

He started messing with something.

"And they promise to give me what I need…Leave the Earth alone…But enough talk."

He turned towards them, and Cat held her breath as she nearly freed her hand.

"Time for your dissection."

A machine started up, using red light to make a triangle at Cat's feet.

"…Uh oh…"

It started moving up.

"Ugh…Now I know how the toaster feels…" She muttered.

"…Fascinating…your genetic mutation is virtually identical to the only other specimen I've been able to find…Though yours in particular is changing…"

'Changing?'

But she saw him heading for some drawers, and shivered.

'It's like a morgue…'

"Other specimen?" Don asked.

"What you talkin' 'bout, Willis." Mikey stated, a slight joke in his voice.

Bishop pulled out a drawer, and Cat's eyes widened in surprise as she saw who was inside.

"Leatherhead?!" She and Mikey stated at once.

Leatherhead weakly tried to rise, and Cat saw the bandages and wires in his before he went limp with fatigue.

Cat glared, tears threatening to well in her emotional violet eyes.

"You frickin' monster!! Do you enjoy torturing innocent beings?!"

Bishop smirked, shaking his head.

"For all your experience, you're still so innocent, Caterina."

She snarled angrily in response.

"And you're easily subject to your own emotions…You're like an open book…"

He grabbed hold of a strange arm, showing a laser.

"But I've never seen a mutation like yours…"

He started heading for Mikey.

"Or that of your crocodilian friend over there…Finding the source of your genetic mutation will accelerate my research in making an army of super soldiers by at least two decades…"

The laser easily cut through the table by Mikey's head, scaring the poor turtle to death.

Cat bit her lip.

'Almost free…come on…'

"Pity you won't survive the next two minutes…"

He laughed darkly, and Cat felt the rubber start ripping.

'A little more…'

The table the orange-banded turtle was on was tilted back, and Bishop started up a circular saw.

"Sorry I can't administer a sedative, but it might corrupt my findings…"

"I can't look!"

Mikey closed his eyes, turning his head away.

"Hey, Bishop!"

A knife knocked the circular saw into a wall.

"You shouldn't be so sloppy with your searches."

Cat ripped off the other rubber sphere, jumping off the table completely free.

"How did you-?"

"Never underestimate me!"

Electricity sparked in her hands fiercely, making the air crackle, and she lunged.

Another weapon headed for her, but she ducked, jumping back before she got a cut on the face.

"Don't think I won't kill him."

Cat tensed, eyes flashing red as her skin prickled in a ripple of silvery-green scales.

"NO!"

Cat turned.

"Sensei! April! Casey!"

"Another mutation?!"

The door opened, and some guards came in.

"Get them!"

Cat had the joy of seeing her sensei kick Bishop across the room as she blasted at a couple guards.

"Free your brothers!"

"Got it, sensei!"

As she ripped the straps off Raph, she smiled reassuringly.

"Hey, we might get out of here in one piece."

She remembered something.

"Leatherhead!"

After freeing the red-banded turtle, she ran with Mikey to the poor crocodiles side.

"Are you okay?" Cat asked, helping him up.

"I am alright, my friend…" He replied weakly, standing on his own.

"I never thought I'd see you again…" Cat admitted.

"Yeah, 'cause our old lair caved in on you last time." Mikey added.

"Well…I am very thick-skinned…"

He ripped off the wires.

"Quite literally…"

The door opened again to let in about five more guards.

April and Casey did a good job of beating on them, but the lasers were too much.

They hid behind a pillar, and April threw a can with some white smoke at them.

"Wake up, Raphie."

Casey threw a duffel bag to them, Don's Bo staff on it.

"Christmas came early this year."

Raph pulled out his sai as Cat rummaged for her blades.

"Thank ya, Santa!"

Using the smoke as cover, they easily defeated the guards, Leatherhead even helping them find the door…

By hurling them towards it…

The smoke cleared, and Cat heard Bishop mutter, "Cowards."

He stepped forward, straightening his tie, and they faced him, weapons drawn at the ready.

"Let's take care 'a this guy an' get outta 'ere! We need ta find the Fugitoid!" Raph stated.

Mikey charged.

"Bishop, you want a genetic sample? Sample this!"

Bishop easily dodged and disarmed the turtle, hurling him over his shoulder and shell-first back onto a dissection table, where he strapped his wrists to his chest.

Flipping the circular saw into his hand, he started it up.

"Anyone moves, and you can say goodbye to Michelangelo."

"Aw, man! I REALLY hate goodbyes!"

Cat growled, eyes swirling red and the pressure returning to the inside of her shell.

'What's happening?'


	52. Chapter 52

Cat staggered, pain similar to that from before swirling in her gut and spreading through her body

Cat staggered, pain similar to that from before swirling in her gut and spreading through her body.

She fell to her hands and knees, biting her lip until blood dripped to the floor.

"Kitten? Kitten, what's wrong?"

"I-I…I d-don't know…" She forced out, and she heard a gasp as something cracked behind her.

"Caterina!"

Her skin rippled to scales again, but it didn't return to normal this time.

"Cat!" Don stated worriedly, touching the scar on her left shoulder.

It singed his fingers, and was glowing violently.

"Cat! Are you okay?" April asked worriedly, but Casey held her back.

"W-Would I b-be double o-over in p-pain if I-I was?" Cat asked jokingly, her voice wavering as she struggled to contain this force in her.

Leatherhead put a heavy hand on her right shoulder.

"Let it out, my friend…it will hurt less…"

"B-But…"

'I'm scared…'

"Trust me."

Hesitantly, her muscles relaxed, and something burst out of her shell, making shadows behind her.

"…Ow…"

"…Kitty…"

Looking up, her bleary vision sharpened as she recognized Mikey's voice.

"Interesting…" Bishop muttered.

Standing up, she nearly fell backwards from some extra weight.

"AH! What the shell-?"

She felt scales over her shoulder, and turned her head.

"…DAMN…"

Large, silver dragon wings, the scales tinted the green of her skin, were attached to her shoulder blades.

They were slender, but each was almost as big as she was, and the scales rattled.

"…Dr-Dragon wings?" Don asked.

"Heavy things, aren't they?" Cat muttered.

With a sharp breath, the wings folded behind her, and something else caught her eye…

"A tail? What other secret things do I have?"

The tail was long and thin, with spikes at the end.

"…Nice…"

She smirked.

"A new little trick for my arsenal…"

With a flick of the new appendage, it wound around a scalpel and threw it.

It hit the circular saw out of his hands, and Mikey kicked him away with a freed foot.

The straps were yanked loose, and he stood up as Cat went to guard him from any projectiles.

Raph and Leo jumped to fight Bishop as Cat's tail grabbed Mikey 'chucks and handed them to him.

Bishop didn't get hit once, and he jumped behind what seemed like a desk.

Casey swung at him with a baseball bat, but he hit some glass containers instead, shattering them.

Bishop blocked the next swing with a gas can, pushing Casey off and spraying him with the contents.

Raph and Leo were unfortunate enough to have the stuff sprayed in their faces as well.

Bishop caught Casey by surprise, using his bat to twist his arm around before grabbing a tazer and shocking him.

Casey fell unconscious, and April ran to his aid, Don defending her and fighting Bishop.

Don and Mikey worked well together, and Bishop was soon caught between the five turtles, Cat with fresh claws and new fangs ready for action.

The boys tried to hit him first, but Bishop was a quick, tricky fighter.

Cat pulled out her blades, running in, and knocked Leo's katana out of the man's hands.

He barely dodged her blows, and his own attacks kept missing.

Suddenly, Cat's style changed abruptly, and she placed a powerful kick to his chest.

He flew back, and Leatherhead caught him in his large arms.

But Bishop wasn't done, and he kicked an operation table horizontal in order to knock the air out of his captor.

"Bishop's got some quickness in him!" Mikey stated.

Cat growled, scales erect and rattling like wind chimes.

"Not for long…"

She went after him as he headed for the door, her blades almost touching…

Her senses suddenly screamed at her to move faster, to get to the professor, to get out of there…

It all made her head ring.

Cat was kicked in the stomach, sending her flying back.

Her wings opened on instinct, softening the fall on her shell, and her tail lashed at the ground in a fury, making deep marks.

"Kitten!"

Bishop jumped over a machine to the opening door.

"Until we meet again. And we will. You can count on it."

He ran out the door as Cat sat up, her wings slightly crushed from the fall.

"God damn Bishop…He's going down…" She growled, standing.

Her wings started to unbalance her, making her fight to stay upright, and she grabbed Raph's arm.

"Darn things are heavy…" She explained.

"We need to go…" She added.

"Yeah. We need to find the Fugitoid." Leo agreed.

"Then let's go." Mikey stated.

Everyone headed out into the hall.

"I KNOW the professor is somewhere in this rat maze…Sorry, Master Splinter…" Don stated.

"Maybe they moved him." April suggested.

The screens lining the hall suddenly turned green.

"Uh…maybe not…" Mikey muttered.

"What the…?" Cat muttered, wings folded against her shell.

Honeycutt's head appeared on the screens.

"Greetings to the peoples of Earth."

"It's the professor!" Don stated.

"To the warring nations that orbit above, I need you to listen to what I have to say! I am Professor Honeycutt, and not so very long ago, I tried to create an instantaneous transportation system called the Teleportal, a device intended to bring people together. An invention to be used for peace. But instead, it has become the prize in an insane, never-ending war. Now, I beg the Federation and Triceraton forces to hear me. The plans for the Teleportal are gone. It is because of ME that this insane war has come to this planet, and so, it is left to me to put things right! I have completely eradicated the technical specifications of the Teleportal device from my memory circuits."

He stopped talking, and they kept walking through the maze of hallways.

"Just how big IS this creepy underground garage?" Raph asked.

"It's gonna take FOREVER to find the professor!" Mikey agreed.

Don found a panel in the hallway, and made a beeline for it.

"Maybe not. Now that he's broadcasting, maybe I can hack into their system and trace where his signal's coming from!"

With some typing, something came up on a screen, showing a symbol that stated Honeycutt's location.

They headed for it, ready to bust Honeycutt free, when Cat's wings unfolded warily.

'Something bad is going to happen…'

The screens changed from green to red, and her scales rattled nervously, almost yelling in a shrill voice to move.

A faint explosion reached her strangely sensitive ears…

"GET DOWN!!"

Jumping, she used her wings to knock everyone onto their stomachs and shield them as the screens and such exploded with flying glass and smoke.

Once the explosions had died down, Cat got up on her hands and knees, glass sliding off her shell and wings.

Lifting her wings, she shook the glass off away from the others.

"You guys okay?"

"…I'm cold…"

Mikey pulled her wing over him like a blanket.

"Mikey…that's attached to me…"

"And it's WARM…"

"Get off!"

Shaking her wing, she freed herself and jumped away.

Cat sighed, looking around.

"Okay, I've seen enough Bond movies to know that when the base starts blowing up, we should leave!"

Cat stood up, and felt something move in one of her strangely folded wings.

"…Oh! Sorry, Raphie…These things have minds of their own…"

"We've got to get the Fugitoid! Hurry!" Don stated as he flipped to his feet.

Everyone followed him at a run, Cat nearing the front through her large wings caused drag as they refused to fold up again.

They reached a large door.

"This should be it." Don muttered.

"Allow me." Leatherhead said, forcing the doors open.

Cat smiled.

"Now THAT'S a gentleman."

They jumped through, knocking down some Federation troops.

"Professor?!" Don called.

"Donatello…help me…"

Cat's wings spread as Don pulled out his Bo.

"Cover for me, guys."

"I've got your shell, bro." Cat assured as the others jumped and attacked the soldiers.

Don jumped up to the table Honeycutt was lying on, and Cat followed, landing softly thanks to her wings.

"Professor!"

Strapping his Bo to his shell, Don grabbed the wires, ready to pull them out of the robots chest.

"Don't worry about me! Turn the power back on! Stop them from blocking my virus!"

"Professor, it's too dangerous!"

Cat shielded her brother and Honeycutt from the battle with her wings, ducking her head.

"Let's get you out of here!"

"No! Donatello, I know the risks, but it's the only way to stop this insane war once and for all! Please…Please help me!"

The two turtles shared a glance, and Cat gave a small, hesitant nod.

"…Alright, professor…"

Don ran to some screens and keyboards, and Cat had the pleasure of defeating some soldiers as he did so.

"I have a feeling I'm going to regret this…" Don muttered as the power started to hum.

Cat whirled around, her tail slicing some blasters apart before her fist met heads and stomachs.

"Just a few more seconds…" Don mumbled, typing faster.

Everything turned on.

"Go, professor!"

"Recommencing viral upload!"

April came to Don's side, and the screen he was near sparked.

"Move!" Cat ordered, hiding the two in her wings as it exploded.

'My wings are pretty tough…tougher than they look, at least…'

Everything started exploding, and Cat covered her head.

Once that ended, Cat unfolded her wings, turning and seeing Blanq.

"Why, hello there!"

Her new fangs made her smile seem more feral.

"I have a bit of karma to dish out…After our last little trip to D'Hoonib."

He panicked, backing up.

"Keep away from me! My troops will be here any second! You'll all be destroyed!"

Cat's new tail swung side to side lazily, like a content feline's, as Raph flipped Blanq over his shoulder, holding him down.

"Not today, Blanq…Not ever…"

The screens left returned to normal, and Don turned to Honeycutt.

"Professor, your virus has run its course! You did it!"

He walked up to the robot.

"The Federation and Triceraton fleets are completely…"

He paused, sensing something was wrong.

"…Professor? Professor?!"

…

"Greetings, I am Sal, servitore class robot. How may I be of service?"

Cat felt like the wind was knocked out of her at the purely robotic voice.

'Professor…'

Her wings drooped to the floor with her tail, scales rattling forlornly.

The robot repeated the last sentence as his voice died down and he shut off.

Silence filled the air, and the only sound was the rattling of her scales as she suppressed the urge to cry.

"…Professor…" Don muttered, almost disbelieving.

"No! H-He can't!"

Cat pulled him into a comforting hug, trying not to show her own welling tears.

"…I warned him…his…his robotic body was never meant to channel that kind of power…it…burned out on him…"

"…He knew, Donnie…" Cat replied.

"But…he did it anyway…"

She locked eyes with Raph.

"…He was a true hero…"

--

On the Triceraton home world, they walked into the mighty throne room, Traximus behind them.

The guards lining the red carpet and General Mozar seemed the only Triceraton present.

Traximus went up to Mozar, who held a blaster in hand.

Traximus accepted the blaster handed to him.

"Let this be a symbol of things to come. From this day forward, none shall sit upon the throne of the Triceratons!"

The throne was blasted to pieces, exploding.

"The senate shall be reinstated and the republic reborn."

Traximus threw down the blaster as he turned to the crowd.

"For too long has this senseless war cost us our honor and the lives of our finest soldiers! Let a new age begin!"

"Traximus, our forces have completed the rescue efforts. The Federation troops are being brought onto the home world as we speak." The Triceraton general informed.

"We will treat them as allies and our guests until we deliver them safely to the Federation…As our first gesture of peace."

"It will be done."

"There are but two prisoners I must keep under lock and key."

Cat smiled at the thought of the Prime Leader and the leader of the Federation in basically adjoining cells.

'Probably bad-mouthing each other, too…'

"Perhaps they will also find a way to make peace."

The smile on her face fell as they went to the funeral for Professor Honeycutt.

'At least he got his dream…There's peace…'

She looked down at the casket holding the robot body.

"…I guess we ought to say something…" Leo stated.

"…I don't know what to say…professor…I…I guess, mainly…I just want to say thanks…you were a good friend…"

Don stepped back, and the casket was shot into outer space.

"Not only will you live on in our hearts, but your noble sacrifice will endear forever…in the lasting gift of peace…"

Cat shuddered, pulling her brothers into a hug with her wings.

'Death always makes you realize what's really important…'

Her shoulders relaxed, and her scales rippled to green skin and her wings retreated under her shell, electricity healing the cracks and holes that were made as her claws and fangs receded.

'…I'll never forget you…friend…'


	53. Chapter 53

Cat glared at Mikey as he put a tin foil antenna on Leatherhead's head

Cat glared at Mikey as he put a tin foil antenna on Leatherhead's head.

SMACK!!

"OW!! KITTY…"

"Take that off his head before I decide that your shell would look nice on my wall…"

But it seemed it was actually working, and a screen showed the news.

It seemed New York was getting back to normal after the invasion, and that the Justice Force was back in action, helping the clean-up efforts.

"Hey, it's my pal Silver Sentry! You go, super dude!"

The screen turned to static again as Leatherhead moved.

"Awww…They were just getting to the best part!"

Cat leaned her arms on the back of the couch.

"Mikey, it's the news…it's never good…"

Mikey seemed not to hear her.

"Thanks, LeatherDORK."

There was a growl, and Cat saw his pupils narrow to slits.

Cat covered his mouth.

"He didn't mean it, buddy! Honest!"

Don moved to his side.

"Easy does it, Leatherhead. Don't listen to him. Mikey makes EVERYBODY crazy."

"It's his secret mutant power." Cat added jokingly.

Master Splinter came out of his room.

"Donatello, have Leonardo and Raphael returned from Miss O'Neil's?"

"Not yet, Master Splinter."

"Come, Michelangelo. You are only causing trouble here." Master Splinter ordered.

"Donatello and Leatherhead have important work to do. You and I will inspect the sewer tunnels. They have been damaged in the alien attack."

He turned to Cat.

"Can I trust you to leave them in peace, my daughter?"

"Did I get an orange mask this morning?" She asked good-naturedly.

"I promise not to disturb them. I'll just meditate in the dojo. Turtle's Honor."

Splinter nodded, walking away with a sullen Mikey.

She smiled at the two brainiacs.

"I'll just get off your backs. Call if you need a little juice."

Her hands sparked to show what she meant before she headed for the dojo.

Slipping into a meditative trance, she did as her sensei had advised before.

'Try to control the transformations…control how far you go, how much pain is caused…'

Trying to control her breathing, she peaked an eye open when someone opened the door to the dojo.

"Hey, Donnie. Need something?"

He closed the door, looking awkward.

"Actually…I wanted to talk to you…"

Cat opened her other eye, relaxing.

"About what?"

"You know…when we were on the Triceraton home world before…"

Blushing slightly, she gestured for him to sit down.

"I know, I know…We should've told you guys…"

"But when? How? I don't really…"

"Understand? There's not much to it. We love each other."

She smiled slightly.

"I would've explained at the time, but under the circumstances…"

"I know…"

He looked at the ground a moment before locking eyes with her again.

"…Why didn't you tell us?"

"I was…worried…scared…I'm not really sure…"

She sighed.

"I've been meaning to, honest…But then Mikey found out…"

"MIKEY found out?"

"It was a lucky shot, bro…He caught us kinda…making out in a tree that first time we went to Casey's grandmother's place…"

"…That's why he always seems so happy whenever he sees you two together…"

"Maybe…or he's just weird…"

Don smiled slightly at the joke.

"But, Donnie…please don't tell Leo and Master Splinter…"

She sighed.

"If they don't take it well…well, you know what'll happen to Raph's temper…"

"Yeah, I know…you can trust me, sis."

She smiled, catching him in a good-natured noogie.

"Of course, Donnie-boy! I can always count on you!"

Don broke free.

"Well, I still need to pay you back for something you did…"

Cat quirked an eye-ridge.

"What?"

"Well…remember when we were little? When we first got our weapons?"

Flashback:

The young turtles were in the dojo practicing kata with their new weapons as Splinter made some tea.

Mikey was bragging that his 'chucks were the best weapon, which Raph argued against.

He said his sai were the best, and Leo got in by saying that katana were obviously better.

Cat stayed out of the argument at the moment, knowing their sensei could hear the fighting.

"Well, at least we know Donnie's isn't the best. It's just a big stick."

Don became a bit defensive.

"It's a Bo staff…"

"Same thin' as a stick…" Raph added to his previous statement.

"What can ya do wit' a big stick, anyway?"

Cat finally had enough.

"Donnie-boy?"

He turned to her, and she tightened her jaw at the unshed tears in his eyes.

"Hand me your Bo. I'm gonna show you something."

Don did so.

"What are you going to do?"

Cat tested the balance and weight.

"You'll see…"

Master Splinter walked in when, SMACK!!, the Bo smacked Raph on the head.

"OW!! HEY!!"

Cat glared.

"A Bo staff is a weapon, too. When handled by a master, it could defeat a katana or a sai. I bet Donnie-boy will be able to whoop your shell with this one day."

She handed it back to Don, smiling.

"Don't let them get to you, bro. They're just jealous you have a big staff to fight with."

Master Splinter couldn't help the smile on his face as he saw the scene, a silent chuckle escaping him.

Don smiled.

"Thanks, Kitty…I owe you one…"

End Flashback:

Cat smiled.

"Oh, that…At the time, that felt good…"

"I think that's when we saw you more as a protector than a leader…Like a guardian…"

Cat tilted her head slightly in a questioning manner.

"…I never really thought of it like that…but I guess we all play an important role…"

"I've always considered each of us like a part of the human body. Master Splinters the skeleton, Raph's the muscle, Mikey's the stomach…"

Cat laughed slightly at the joke.

"Leo's the skin, I'm the brain, and you're the heart. Thing is, that doesn't completely define you. It's like we're all part of the heart somehow, and you are, too…but it's like there's a part of you outside of it, defending it…"

"Aw…that's sweet, Don…but I only do as much as I can."

"And you always manage to save our shells, no matter what you're up against."

Cat smiled.

"I'm doing pretty well then, huh?"

Leatherhead peaked in.

"Is something wrong, my friends?"

"Nothing at all."

Cat smiled.

"I won't hold him any longer, Leatherhead. I know you two need to get back to work."

"Actually, would you mind lending us your special power?"

"Of course not."

They headed to the living room, and Cat saw the open wires.

"Hope I don't short-circuit anything…"

"I promise you won't." Don assured.

"Well…If you're sure…" Cat muttered.

Letting the electricity out of her fingertips softly, she saw the screens start coming to life.

As Don got on his computer and Leatherhead adjusted a satellite dish, Leo came home.

"Hey, aniki." Cat greeted, still concentrating.

"Has Raphael come home yet?"

"Not yet."

"Haven't seen him."

Cat looked worried.

"I thought he was with you…"

"He should've been back by now…knowing Raph, he's probably gotten himself into serious trouble…"

Cat sighed, shaking her head.

"What am I supposed to do with brothers like these?"

"HEY…" Don and Leo stated.

"It's not like you two have given me any problems…yet…"

After a while, Cat sat with her Les Paul, tuning it as Leo paced.

"…You done yet, aniki? I think that's a pretty nice groove in the floor…"

The elevator door opened, and Raph came in.

"Raph!" Cat greeted, smiling.

"Man, Raph! I always knew you were slow, but come on! What happened?" Leo questioned.

"Guys, you won't BELIEVE this!" Mikey's voice sounded from the front door.

"I have, in my possession, a briefcase OVERFLOWING with possibilities!"

He snapped it open, revealing money.

"A truckload of rare comics! Twenty-two new televisions! Eight hundred and twenty-three consecutive days of Chinese take-out!"

Raph smirked.

"Actually, Mikey…I've gotta better idea…"

--

Cat went with her red-banded brother to wherever he wanted to give the money, genuinely confused.

He knocked on a door in an alley, and Cat tensed when the old woman that opened it didn't seem to see anything.

"Who's there?"

"It's me, Mrs. M. Raphael. I brought my girlfriend this time, Caterina."

"It's nice to meet you." Cat greeted.

"It's nice to meet you as well. What brings you two here?"

Cat smiled slightly.

"Actually, we found this briefcase on your doorstep."

"Yeah. It's full of money." Raph added, handing it to her.

"Well, who would do such a thing?"

The two turtles shared a glance.

"I think ya have a guardian angel that's tellin' ya yer exactly where ya oughtta be." Raph answered.

Cat smiled, kissing Raph's cheek.

'He can be so sweet…That's why I love him…'


	54. Chapter 54

Cat was meditating rather soundly in Master Splinter's room, the only 'safe' room to do so in the whole lair, as Leatherhead and Master Splinter had tea

Cat was meditating rather soundly in Master Splinter's room, the only 'safe' room to do so in the whole lair, as Leatherhead and Master Splinter had tea.

She opened an eye in irritation as her brothers came in, asking Leatherhead for help or to do something with them.

Leatherhead seemed ready to stand, and accidentally broke the fragile tea cup he was holding.

Cat was there in a moment.

"Are you okay? These shards are a pain to get out…"

Leatherhead turned to pick up the pieces, seeming apologetic and embarrassed, when his tail, unbidden, broke the tea pot.

"Oh! I-I am sorry! I-I didn't mean to-!"

Cat nodded, accepting the apology easily, and started to pick them up.

"Just like a giant croc in a China shop." Raph joked.

Cat looked up, glaring at the red-banded turtle, when she saw Leatherhead's pupils turn to slits.

"Leatherhead…"

"That is not funny! I did not mean to break it!"

Leatherhead stood, pushing Raph back.

"Whoa! Leatherhead, I was just jokin'!"

"Everything is not a joke! I am not a joke! I AM NOT A JOKE!"

He busted through the slightly open door.

"…Is it just me, or did Leatherhead overreact just a little bit?" Don asked.

Cat ignored her brothers, jumping over them and following their crocodilian friend.

"Leatherhead…"

She stepped towards him a bit cautiously, unsure if he had calmed down.

"You know, Raph didn't mean anything by it…He's a bit insensitive sometimes…"

She heard a snort behind her, and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, LH…I'm sorry…" Raph added.

"No, it is I who should apologize. My temper has become so much worse…since the tortures I endured in Agent Bishop's laboratory."

"It's okay. I understand. Ya know, some guys think I have a problem keepin' my cool."

"Because you do." Cat muttered under her breath.

"Not that I don't sometimes have troubles with it, too…" She added.

"I seem to have no control over it…whatever Bishop did to me in his genetics laboratory, it is as though a part of me is separated from my body…my animal side grows stronger…"

Leatherhead put the last piece together to show a cracked tea cup.

"I am sorry…I do not know what to do…"

Cat sighed, kneeling beside him.

"Sometimes…neither do I…"

She made eye contact.

"This is hard…I understand that…If you ever need any help, I'll do what I can…I promise…"

"Yeah. We'll work through this, Leatherhead." Leo added.

"You'll see. Everything will be just fine." Don stated, putting a comforting hand on the crocodile's broad shoulder.

"Except for that tea pot…"

SMACK!!

SMACK!!

PUSH!!

"OW!! Why are you all ganging up on me!?"

"Keep your mouth shut, Mikey." Cat advised.

--

Cat was sleeping so peacefully…

Her heightened hearing could catch every snore or soft breath from all of her brothers…

She even heard Mikey talking in his sleep about the 'Turtle Titan'…

Only the soft, unhurried noises of peaceful sleep successfully put the white-banded turtle to sleep every time…

Suddenly, the sounds of a fitful sleep reached her, and violet eyes opened blearily.

'Who's having a nightmare?'

Sitting up, Yuki meowed in reply, curling up on the warm spot on the turtle's pillow.

"Thanks, Yuki…I see how much you care…"

Sliding from the featherbed hammock she'd constructed a couple years previously, she headed out the door.

'Now who's in trouble tonight?'

She saw Leatherhead seemed to be fitful, and jumped down to his side.

"Leatherhead, wake up. You're having a nightmare." She whispered, lightly touching his shoulder.

Mikey came up behind her, having heard the commotion Leatherhead had begun to make.

"Leatherhead, buddy…wake up…" Cat urged, giving a soft shake.

He growled, his eyes snapping open to reveal angry slits.

"Leatherhead-?"

He reached up to grab Mikey, but Cat pushed him out of the way, and she was pulled by her wrist and smacked shell-first into a wall.

She bit back a cry of pain as she was lifted into the air.

"Leatherhead, stop! I don't want to hurt you!"

She was thrown onto the bricks, rolling.

"Kitty!"

"Mikey, don't!" She growled, standing up.

"H-He's still scared…"

She turned to Leatherhead.

"Please, Leatherhead…Don't do this…you're my friend…"

His roar rang in her ears, and her heightened hearing made her fall to her knees in pain, hands over her ears.

Suddenly, he seemed to come back to his senses.

"What have I done?"

Cat smiled slightly.

"I'm glad…you're back, Leatherhead…"

She fell forward, eyes closed.

"NO!!"

She faintly felt someone turn her over, try to revive her.

With all the training she'd done with what her father now called 'chakra', she couldn't find the strength to reply.

She was put back down, and she faintly recognized Leatherhead's voice as he ran.

'L-Leatherhead…'

Someone lifted her up gently.

"Come on, Kitten…ya can't leave us…not like this…"

She heard Raph's voice echo softly in her head.

"Kitty, please be okay…I don't want to have to give you mouth-to-mouth…"

Her hand shot out, smacking Mikey upside the head.

Opening her eyes slowly, she smiled softly.

"Sorry…it's a reflex…"

The relief in Raph's eyes made her smile widen, and she was helped to her feet.

"My daughter, what happened here?"

Cat rubbed her head.

"Well…I was sleeping when I noticed someone was having a nightmare…I came out to check it out, and Leatherhead seemed pretty into it…I woke him up, but whatever happened in there, it made him go berserk. He tried to get Mikey, but I got him out of the way…"

She looked concerned.

"Where is he? Is he okay?"

"He ran out…" Leo admitted.

"I think he thinks he killed you…" Don added.

"…It's my fault…I should've been able to do something…I need to find him!"

Raph looked unsure.

"But…"

"He needs to know I'm okay. I can't leave him by himself to fight his demons!"

'Not like me…'

Splinter nodded.

"But be careful, my children. There are parts of his nature he can no longer control."

Cat nodded, grabbing her weapons and heading for the door.

"You'd better be careful, Kitten. That was some beatin'."

"…I didn't want to hurt him…" She stated, walking into the sewers.

Her brothers followed, and she followed his tracks through the tunnels.

'I hope he's okay…'

Cat stopped when she saw other tracks.

"He's not alone." She noted.

"He's being followed." Mikey agreed.

"Who'd be down here?" Leo asked.

"I don't like this…" Don admitted.

"We'd better stick to the shadows." Cat stated.

"We can do that. We're ninja, remember?" Mikey stated, jumping into the shadows.

Cat rolled her eyes, following him.

She thought she heard something beep, and she tensed.

'I'm just paranoid…then again, the last time I thought that, something bad happened…'

"This guy is too easy to track…" Cat muttered, looking around warily as Raph headed down one branch of a tunnel that was somewhat blocked off.

He seemed to activate some strange devices on accident.

"…Raph…"

Lasers started blasting.

"RAPH!"

Blocking the lasers, it seemed a couple were planted behind them.

"We need to take these things out!" Leo ordered.

"I'm on it!"

Cat slammed her palms on the floor, and her electricity coursed through the ground and made the little laser-shooters blow.

"What WERE those things?" Mikey asked.

"More importantly, what were they doing there?" Don added.

They started walking through the sewer water.

"Whoever's tracking Leatherhead is playing for keeps…" Leo stated.

Cat sighed, looking down.

"Guys, watch out! These tunnels are loaded with-!"

Leo stepped on something that beeped.

"…Mines…"

"Stupid-Stupid-Stupid! I can't BELIEVE I stepped on a mine!"

"Me neither. You were the last one I expected to do that…" Cat admitted.

"Don, you have to disarm it!" Mikey stated.

"Okay, this is going to take a steady hand, perfect timing…"

Don handed Mikey his Bo and pulled out a shuriken.

"And a whole lot of luck…"

Don put the shuriken under the water next to Leo's foot.

"Mikey, the Bo staff…"

Mikey went over, holding it steady.

"Okay, Leo. Step off after three."

The Bo was put on top of the shuriken in the water.

"One…two…three!"

It seemed the it worked, and Cat released a breath, letting go of Raph's hand.

"Mikey, keep constant pressure on that Bo staff." Don ordered as him and Leo backed off.

"Okay…now what?" Mikey asked.

"Now…we'll all go get some lunch…"

"Guys, don't leave me here! GUYS! IT'S NOT FUNNY!"

Cat sighed.

"I'll get him…"

She grabbed the Bo staff.

"Go on, Mikey…I'll be right behind you, bro…"

Mikey nodded, running to the others.

With a tricky move, she pole-vaulted, ripping the explosive out of the ground and throwing it.

It exploded soundly, as did the others, as Cat started running.

Jumping behind some debris, she ducked as smoke and wind moved overhead.

"Next time, Leo, watch where yer puttin' those big feet 'a yers." Raph stated.

"What kind of whack bag would put mines in the sewers?!" Mikey asked.

"The kind of whack bag that knows he's being followed…" Don answered.

They continued on, wary of where they put there feet and what they passed, when they saw a tunnel covered in red sensor lasers.

Don threw a rock at them, and it disintegrated.

Cat bit her tongue, shuddering.

"Let's be sure we don't touch anything…"

"Just one wrong move…" Don started.

"And it's turtle's flambé!" Mikey finished.

"Couldn't be any worse than Big Feet Leo of the Land Mines." Raph stated.

Leo glared at his brother, who elbowed him.

"Just kiddin', bro. You go first."

"My pleasure."

With the skill of a trained ninja, he jumped through the lasers without a problem.

The boys clapped, and Cat rolled her eyes before following her oldest brother.

"Move it, guys! We've got a friend to find!"

The three turtles copied them, and Cat clapped her hands sarcastically.

"Show-offs…"

Finding an unconscious Leatherhead tied upside down under a walkway and over a raging whirlpool below them did NOTHING to calm the white-banded turtle's worries…

"Leatherhead?" Don asked, disbelieving.

"Come on. We've gotta get 'im down from 'here!" Raph stated.

Jumping down onto the walkway, they headed for where the rope was tied.

Cat stopped, sensing danger.

Looking up, she saw a glint on metal.

"MIKEY!"

Pulling him back, a yellow laser missed his head.

She growled, looking back up.

"Whoever this guy is…he's mine…"

Her brothers jumped up, dodging lasers and kicking the 'bounty hunter'.

The robot he was with was destroyed, and the rope holding Leatherhead was cut.

"LEATHERHEAD!"

Cat jumped in after him without a second thought, and saw him heading for a fan.

She pulled him away with all her strength, ripping the bonds holding him and swimming for the service.

Don, Raph, and Mikey jumped in to help her out, then Leo.

Don, using his Bo staff, stopped the fan, causing the whirlpool to calm and stop.

They broke through to the surface, and Cat pulled Leatherhead onto the bricks.

"Leatherhead! Wake up!"

She looked at him worriedly.

"Are you okay, buddy?"

His eyes opened blearily, and he coughed.

"Caterina? Is it you? You're alright!"

She was hugged tight, and Cat nearly laughed.

"I have pretty thick skin. I've been thrown around worse."

Leatherhead stood up.

"You must be careful! There is a hunter and-!"

"We know. Let's just get you out of here." Leo interrupted.

"We'll deal with him." Cat added, looking up at the walkway.

Nothing was there, and they went up to see only the bounty hunter's hat.

"Hey! Looks like the great white hunter up and skedaddled!" Mikey stated.

"Then let's get the shell out of here!" Don added.

Heading for the tunnel, Cat saw a spark.

"Don't move! I've finally got you!"

Cat moved in front of the group, growling.

"Put down the gun before I hurt you…" She warned, feeling pressure on the inside of her shell.

"I don't think so! She's taking us all down with her!"

Cat heard Leatherhead's roar, and him and the man fell into the water.

"LEATHERHEAD!!"

Sprouting wings through her shell, she jumped down, ready to save him, when there was an explosion.

The water and force sent her flying back, but she stabilized, barely able to fly.

"LEATHERHEAD!!"

Swooping down, she looked around for him.

'Where is he? Where is he?!'

"He gave his life to save ours…" Don stated.

"Actually, that statement would be inerrant, Donatello…"

Cat's heart jumped.

"You're okay!"

Using her wings to help lift Leatherhead onto the walkway, Cat landed and hugged him.

"Don't worry me like that! I have enough heart attacks with these four!"

"HEY…" Four turtles whined.

They headed through the tunnels, ready to head home.

"I can not. I simply will not risk staying with you. My temper…My anger…What if I can't control it? What if I had really hurt Caterina? Or worse…"

"We'll be right here for you, Leatherhead. Once a part of this family, you're ALWAYS a part of this family."

Cat smiled comfortingly.

"And once you're in this family, you're under my care. Got it?"

"I want to stay with you…but I can not risk it…"

Leatherhead turned around.

"Actually…I think I have a solution…" Don stated.

Following the purple-banded turtle through the sewers, they came upon an entrance covered in bars.

"Leatherhead, if you would do the honors."

Leatherhead ripped it off, and threw it aside.

"Follow me."

Walking inside, they were soon in an abandoned station.

"Whoa…nice…" Cat muttered, looking around.

"Here, you'll be three minutes away from the lair." Don stated.

"And it'll give ya the space to work things out." Raph added.

"…I don't know how to thank you…" The crocodile managed to say.

"You don't have to thank us, Leatherhead." Leo stated.

"Yeah! Us mutants have to stick together!" Mikey added.

Cat smiled slightly, her wings receding.

"Family helps family, remember?"

"Yes…family…"


	55. Chapter 55

"Whoa

"Whoa!"

Cat dodged a fist, back flipping away from her blue-banded brother. \

"You wouldn't hit a girl that can't see, would you?" She asked playfully, since her mask now covered her eyes.

"Nope."

Ducking, she kicked him in the stomach, and heard his shell hit a door.

"…Oops? I didn't mean to hit you so hard…"

"I'm okay…"

Cat smiled sheepishly when she heard April and Casey.

"Sorry about that, guys. Can't aim if you can't see, ya know?"

"It's alright, Cat…"

"Yeah, Kitty…"

A rock hit Casey's forehead.

"Reserved for turtle's only." Cat joked.

She ducked below a kick, and grabbed her brothers ankle before throwing him over her shoulder and pouncing onto his plastron.

"I win! YES!"

"Weren't you guys going to pick apples or something?" April asked as Cat stood up, righting her mask.

"That was Don." Leo answered.

"But Raphie and Mikey said something about settling a bet." Cat added as Master Splinter came up to the two turtles.

"Your senses are sharper than before, my daughter. Now you must control them."

"Yes, sensei."

"Now, here's a part I believe you will enjoy…"

Cat felt a tingling up her spine as the now pleasant pressure built up behind her shell.

"You'll have to learn to fly, of course. But be careful. You must not be spotted."

"Of course."

Cat backed up, sprouting her wings, her tail growing and lashing around with its new freedom.

Flapping powerfully, she managed to lift herself onto the roof.

"Okay…I just need to relax…"

Breathing deeply, she spread her wings like sails and jumped.

Gliding at first, she flapped her wings in order to clear the trees.

It felt amazing to be flying through the air.

It felt like the sky really WAS the limit.

Flipping and twirling, she hardly held back a cry of joy.

Seeing Casey and April on a walk, she was ready to land and join them when she heard the faint sound of a car's engine.

'Better turn around…'

Doing a tight 180, she flew as fast as she could, landing on a window on the second floor of the farmhouse.

Pulling in her wings and tails with a slight effort, she slipped inside and headed downstairs.

Once there, she saw April drag Casey inside.

"Did you tell your mother that we're ENGAGED?!"

"NO! …Kinda…"

Cat sat down on a chair, watching with interest.

'It's like one of sensei's stories…'

April seemed mad, and stalked over to the chimney.

"Ya've gotta understand! My ma hates every girl I've ever brought home, so I just said it ta shut 'er up! I never thought she'd come lookin' fer ya! I just wanted 'er ta like ya, is all. 'Cause yer…ya know…special…"

Cat smiled.

'Awww…That's sweet…'

"Really?"

The two would've kissed, but they saw the three mutants watching.

Cat's smile turned sheepish.

"Um…I wasn't watching…"

Grabbing a book, she hid her head inside.

"…Perhaps we should continue our meditation session elsewhere…" Splinter advised.

Someone knocked on the door loudly.

'Casey's mom alright…'

With a quick thought, Cat jumped onto the ceiling and headed out through an open window.

Hiding in the barn, she sat on one of the rafters easily.

"Hey, Leo. Remember when you were scared of heights?"

"Unfortunately even YOU remember…"

Cat stuck her tongue out childishly.

"Ha-Ha…VERY funny…But I was just thinking of something from when we were little…"

"Oh lord, no…"

"Very encouraging, aniki…" She stated sarcastically.

Flashback:

Six year old Cat was playing with a miraculously intact kick ball, having fun as she kicked it around on the damp bricks.

"Kitty, be careful with that." A young Leo warned.

"You don't want it to break."

"I know, aniki."

When younger, Cat sometimes acted younger than her brothers, and her and Mikey were usually known to switch for the role of the 'youngest'.

A powerful kick sent the bouncing red back onto a rafter, and there was silence before the young white-banded turtle turned teary purple eyes to her brother.

"I-I can't get it, aniki…"

Leo tensed, getting where she was going with that train of thought.

"I'll go get Master Splinter…"

"But sensei will take it away after! Pwease, aniki?"

Not wanting to see his sister cry, Leo nodded slightly.

"Alright…"

Starting to climb up a rafter, he felt the familiar fear.

'What if I fall?'

"You can do it, aniki." Cat encouraged, smiling.

"You're not scared of anything!"

It was true.

Before Cat herself could scare away her brother's monsters, Leo scared away her own.

With new confidence, Leo started climbing, inching towards the kick ball.

When he nearly slipped, nearly within arms-reach of the red sphere, he gripped the brick in fear.

"Aniki, are you okay?" Cat called up, worried.

"I-I…"

Cat moved under him, looking up.

"You can do it, aniki! And if you fall, I'll catch you!"

Leo felt his fingers dig into the brick.

"…Promise?"

"Promise."

More relieved, Leo reached out and grabbed the toy, dropping it down to his sister before inching his way down.

Once he reached the ground, he was nearly tackled in a hug.

"Thanks, aniki! You're the best, bravest big brother ever!"

"Thanks, Kitty…"

'I think I'm finally getting over my fear…'

End Flashback:

"…I may have gone a bit too far with the 'you're the best big brother ever' part…"

She dodged a rock.

"What?!"

Cat looked out a window on the top of the barn.

"Looks like April needs help, bro."

Nodding, he followed her outside.

Cat easily balanced a basket on her head, two on each arm, and was able to walk back to the barn without dropping a single apple.

"This is great balance training…" She noted, putting them down.

"Now I know where Casey gets his ability to be so annoying…his mother…"

Cat smiled.

"Parents are meant to be overprotective of their kids. You should've seen sensei when I was thirteen. My first 'time of the month' and he panicked so bad at the blood on my sheets…"

Cat giggled, covering her mouth slightly.

"At the time, I was kinda embarrassed, but now it's just hilarious!"

The three hid once the apples were brought in, and April brought Casey's mother in to show her there work.

"Here they are, Mrs. Jones. All neatly stacked."

"I see that, dear. But they aren't peeled."

"Uh…I'd be happy to peel them…"

"Good. Try not to bruise them up too much."

April was handed a peeler before the woman left, and Cat jumped down, blades drawn.

"There's just no pleasing that woman!"

"Tough break…" Cat replied sympathetically.

"But we'll help you out."

Growing claws, Cat plopped down to start peeling alongside her friend.

Once done, Leo's katana coming in handy, they hid as Casey's mother came back.

"There you are. Peeled and cored."

"You did 'em all? I only need a dozen for the pie."

She crouched down, filling a bowl with twelve apples.

"Such a waste…oh well. Might as well press the rest into cider before they rot."

"Listen, I'm getting a little frustrated with you giving me orders all the time. I prefer to be treated as an adult who happens to care a great deal about your son. I think I deserve a little respect."

'You GO, girl!'

"…Well, all that negativity won't get those apples pressed, dear."

Cat nearly fell over.

'WHAT!?'

Mrs. Jones walked out.

"Right…let's get started on the cider…" Leo stated.

Cat rolled her eyes.

"And after that, we can make a throne…"

Making the cider wasn't as hard as the other tasks, and Cat was soon relaxing in the barn.

"I wonder where the others are…I hope they haven't gotten themselves into trouble." Leo stated.

"They're alive. If there was even the slightest chance they were going to die, I'd have left already." Cat assured.

She heard Mrs. Jones on the porch with Casey.

"You don't have to tell me right now, but someday, I'd really like to know the story behind the big rat and the two giant turtles."

Cat looked puzzled.

'Well, mother always knows…'


	56. Chapter 56

The training was rigorous and tiring as they tried to keep in time with each other

The training was rigorous and tiring as they tried to keep in time with each other.

Once they were done, all five of them collapsed, panting.

"Okay…I can't move…" Don stated.

"Who WANTS ta move?" Raph replied.

"Wake me for breakfast…" Mikey whined slightly.

"Note to self…get Mikey some new deodorant…" Leo stated.

"I need…Gatorade…" Cat panted out, practically crawling towards the kitchen.

"Hey! That's MY Gatorade!" Mikey whined.

"…Try to get in my way, bro…"

No one moved in her way, and she grabbed the fridge.

"Well…she needs the electrolytes…" Don reasoned.

"Training has concluded for tonight. It will resume in the morning." Splinter ordered, heading into his room.

Cat grabbed the bottle that was bigger than her head and started chugging it down.

Sprawled on the floor, chugging down Gatorade, she only gave a thumbs-down when Raph asked if she wanted to play a video game.

"Wait-Wait-Wait. Obviously, you've forgotten one VERY important rule about video games…_I_ always play!"

Cat lifted her head slightly, still chugging Gatorade as she saw Mikey stare at his red and purple-banded brothers as they played his game.

"Yeah, Mikey. And that's the problem. It's OUR turn." Raph replied, leaning as he tried to look past the orange-banded turtle.

"We'll call you when there's an opening." Don added jokingly.

"Yeah, say in 'bout ten years. Now move yer shell."

Cat sat up as Yuki cuddled into her side, purring.

Still drinking, she heard the sound of the game.

'Well, maybe energy are good…for me…Mikey doesn't need them…'

"It's no big deal, Mikey. Relax." Leo advised.

"But how's a turtle supposed to rest and relax without something to do?"

"Let Raph and Don have their game. You and I can hit the rooftops."

Leo turned to the kitchen.

"You want to come, Cat?"

Seeing Yuki using her stomach as a pillow, Cat sighed.

"…Maybe moving would be a good idea…"

--

The old construction site was always a fun place to run around in, but Cat learned quickly that the many beams and such could help with her flying.

Flying through tight spaces and around obstacles helped her learn control, especially with such a wide wingspan.

The moonlight shone off her scales in rainbows, and she dove through a couple beams.

Her tail seemed to cut the very air, and she smirked as she dove straight down.

She pulled up, flying by her surprised youngest brother.

"Hey! Watch where you're flying!"

"Watch where you're running!" Cat yelled playfully back.

She landed on a rooftop, waiting for her brothers to join her.

"You almost hit me with that thing!" Mikey whined.

"That's my WING, thank you…"

Leo rolled his eyes, but the two saw the amusement in his eyes.

"You two haven't changed that much since we were little…"

Cat sighed, folding her wings.

"Yeah. I was part dragon when I was younger."

"You sure ACTED like it…"

SMACK!!

"OW!!"

Turning her eyes to the heavens, as if for guidance, Cat caught sight of a shadow.

"Well, would you look at that…"

Mikey and Leo joined her, seeing the figure on the tall rooftop across the street from them, cape billowing.

"Whoa! Cape…mask…dark brooding presence…gotta be a superhero!" Mikey stated.

"Or some whacko! Come on!" Leo ordered.

He ran forward, and Cat followed, winding her tail around her thigh so she wouldn't accidentally cut one of her brothers.

Jumping down from the roof and using poles and pipes to slow her descent, Cat hit the ground feet first.

Seeing the dark figure swing by on a strange rope, she looked down the street and saw what he was following.

"He's going after that truck…" She stated as her brothers joined her.

"And doing it with style, I might add!" Mikey stated.

"Remind you of anyone? A dark avenger on a quest for justice?"

The two older turtles shared a glance.

"No." They answered as one before running after the truck and the dark figure.

The dark figure landed on a car with a silence that surprised the winged kunoichi, and she jumped into an alley as he dodged some bullets.

"SURE he doesn't remind you of anyone?" Mikey asked.

"No."

"Concealed identity, casting his heroic shadow over the city he has sworn to protect, relentless in his dangerous pursuit of evil villains?"

"…Nope. Doesn't ring any bells." Cat answered again.

"The Turtle Titan! I thought it was so obvious…"

Cat rolled her eyes, using one hand to rub her temples.

SMACK!!

"OW!!"

Trying to follow the mysterious hero, they landed in an alley, a short wood wall behind them.

"NOW where'd he go?" Mikey asked.

Cat's wings unfolded, scales rattling.

'What's coming?'

The roar of an engine sent all her senses on red alert.

The truck turned into the alley, and sped toward the three turtles.

Bullets were fired, and Cat turned her shell to the onslaught, shielding her brothers with her wings.

Bullets whined off her scales, and she tightened her hold as she ducked her head.

"Kitty…" Mikey stated worriedly.

Her wings may be bullet-proof so far, but her shell and flesh sure weren't.

"Keep your head down." She ordered, the roar of the truck's engine nearly deafening in her ears.

The wind was nearly knocked out of her when an arm slammed into her side, pulling her feet straight off the ground.

Tightening her wings, she saw the truck break straight through the wall and keep speeding before turning onto the road on the other side.

Cat was dropped back safely on her feet, and freed her brothers from the protecting warmth of her wings before folding them elegantly behind her back.

"You saved our lives…" She stated.

The figure fell to his knees, seeming in pain.

Scales rattling, Cat took a tentative step forward.

"Are you alright?" Mikey asked.

"Yes…the body armor deflected the shots…"

"Why'd you risk your life for us?" Leo asked.

"It's not your fight…"

"And that truck?"

"I need to know…where it's going…"

"Is it that important?" Cat questioned.

"Right now, following that truck means everything to me…"

Sounding pained, he jumped over them and headed for the alley mouth.

"You really oughtta call in some back-up!" Mikey called after him.

"I can't. This one's personal."

He swung away into the dark, and they ran out to find him gone.

"Okay maybe, just MAYBE, this guy is KINDA cool…" Leo admitted.

Cat's tail smacked the ground with a dull ring of metal.

"…Well, if we're gonna follow him, we'd better move our shells…"

--

Seeing him punch a couple guards off on the rooftop, Cat jumped down and landed on a guard as her brothers followed her example.

Machine guns were pointed at them, and Cat put her hands up as a sign of peace.

"It's okay. It's just us." Leo assured.

"Not that I don't appreciate the assist, but…"

He threw the machine guns down.

"What are you three doing here?"

"Caterina, Michelangelo and me figured you'd come here." Leo replied as him and Cat stepped out of the thicker shadows.

"Hey, roaming the city at night, I'm SURE you've heard of ANOTHER nightly superhero."

Cat smacked her forehead, embarrassed already.

"Mikey, don't…"

"He's really good! Great, actually! Goes by the name of Turtle Titan!"

Cat sighed.

"…I don't know him anymore…He's not my brother…"

As he went to the glass again, Leo went to Mikey to demand he take off the ridiculous costume.

She rolled her eyes, looking through the glass.

"Can you handle this problem or not?"

"Hun…" She growled, tail lashed out at the air.

Her brothers came to join her.

"I'm not going to tolerate any more delays. You'd better get it together, Ruffington."

"Don't get your biceps in a bunch. The other shipments will be arriving soon."

"You have until dawn to finish loading our barge. Do NOT disappoint us."

Hun got into the car behind him and drove off.

Cat felt her teeth sharpen slightly.

'Yeah, you'd BETTER run!'

"If Hun's involved…" Mikey started.

"That means the Shredder is, too." Leo finished.

"The Shredder?"

"Oroku Saki, the supposed 'savior' of New York." Cat answered the dark hero.

"Yeah, and who's the dweeb in the vest?" Mikey questioned.

"…His name's Ruffington…and he and I go way back…"

Cat perked, wings twitching from their folded position against her shell.

Her rattling scales sang off her shell only loud enough for her to hear.

"Back when I used to be a New York City detective…Burying me in the department was bad enough…Ruffington had to destroy my life, my reputation…and my honor. I intend to get it all back."

"Count us in." Leo assured.

"And Mikey…"

"What, Kitty?"

"…Take off the cape…"

"Awww…"

After doing so, he followed them inside and onto the rafters of the warehouse.

Being the sneaky ninja they were, they easily knocked out the only kid who thought he'd seen something.

Their hero friend opened a crate, pulling out…

"What the heck is this thing?"

"A Triceraton Cannon?" Leo asked in disbelief.

"Looks a bit modified, though. Probably that Ruffington guy." Cat noted.

"And he's selling these things on the street? How difficult is it to operate?"

"Easy! just-!"

Mikey accidentally pressed a button before he could explain, and the cannon blasted at the wall before them.

Cat smacked her forehead soundly.

"…As you can see, even an idiot can use it…But even aliens haven't made anything idiot-proof…"

Cat glared at her orange-banded brother, who smiled sheepishly back.

"Or Mikey-proof…"

The blast seemed to disintegrate the very wall, revealing all the rooms the wall had been concealing.

The surprised men soon started shooting, and Cat jumped to the side, using a wing to shield Mikey.

"Don't touch alien technology EVER again!" She ordered.

Hiding behind some crates, Cat grabbed a few shuriken.

"I still can't believe you so TOTALLY blew our cover like that!"

"Sorry! I didn't mean to!"

"Remind me never to bring you on a stealth mission again!"

Throwing the shuriken, the metal projectiles lodged themselves into the mouth of some of the guns.

The cannon was fired a second time, stopping the gunfire as everyone ran to safety on stable ground.

Cat heard footsteps, and turned to see a couple punks sneaking up behind Nobody.

"Watch out!"

A stray bullet hit the cannon before Cat's tail slashed up a gun and her blades blocked the butt of another.

The Triceraton cannon exploded, though Nobody tossed it away just in time.

Looking around, she saw him missing.

Heading outside, her brothers close behind, she looked around.

"Where is he?"

"No, but here's a new wrinkle." Mikey noted.

The two men before them touched fists, sparks flying.

"So, this is Touch and Go…" Leo stated.

"Yeah. Aren't they even uglier in person?"

"Aw, Michelangelo! It is good to see you again! I've so missed your taste and subtle wit."

Cat growled, senses pricking.

"You two, stay back…"

Cat's wings unfurled to their full length, scales rattling as she crouched down, claws biting into the ground and tail swinging warily as fangs were bared in a silent threat.

"Well, it seems the mademoiselle would like a demonstration, Mr. Touch."

"I believe so, Mr. Go."

Mr. Touch went to the racks holding robots that were behind the pair, and her muscles tensed.

Punching one, it flew through the air.

Cat lifted up her arms to guard her face, and the rowboat splintered.

The force of it pushed her back, her shell nearly touching the wall now.

Before she could even think of lowering her arms, another slammed into her, her shell ringing as it smacked into the concrete barrier.

The splinters around her feet grew in number as more wooden boats smacked into her.

One hit her so hard her head smacked into the wall, and she was buried by the remains.

Mikey feared the worst.

"KITTY!!"

Nothing moved, and Leo felt dread.

'She can't be…she's been through so much worse…'

Before either turtle could move to try and dig their sister out, Mr. Touch and Mr. Go attacked.

"And to think our boss thought the female would be our true problem!"

Mikey was kicked to the floor.

"So, Mr. Turtle Man, where's your sharp tongue now?"

Something shook, and it caught everyone attention.

Splinters flew as something erupted, and a familiar figure stood, shaking wood and debris from their shoulders and wings…

"Kitty!!"

"You're okay!"

Cat lifted her eyes, and her brothers saw the smoldering violet flash red.

"Cat…" Leo warned warily.

The white-banded turtle stepped away from the pile of remains, tail swaying with her hips easily.

"I've always thought I've had a lot of patience…"

Her chakra sparked between her fingers and electricity danced across her skin.

"But I've had enough with you two…"

Mr. Go tried to outpace her, but Cat used a single arm to block his strikes before bringing a powerful fist up and making him fly through the air.

Mr. Touch tried to punch her from behind, and Cat ducked, grabbing his wrist and throwing him over her shoulder.

With a suppressed growl, she picked him up by his shirt front.

"Don't mess with my family…"

A chakra-filled punch sent him flying and smacking into a pile of crates.

"…I think it's time we recharge our battery, Mr. Go…"

"Just my thoughts, Mr. Touch…"

Cat did some hand signs.

"Shadow Clone jutsu!"

Making another clone, both jumped in and kept the two separated.

"Leo! Mikey!"

The two turtles jumped in.

"Hey, guys! Your dedication to teamwork is REAL inspiration! In fact, we've been working on a little teamwork of our own!" Mikey stated as Cat rolled out of the way.

"Ready, Leo?"

"I've got it, Mikey."

"Shuko! Left fist strike!"

They both did the move, striking hard.

"Front snap kick!"

It hit with great accuracy.

"Upper rising block!"

They blocked a strike.

"Double kick counter! Again!"

The two were struck into the river, and Cat walked up, wings folding.

"Great job, guys."

Cat looked up, seeing a helicopter come in for a not-so-safe landing.

"Get down!"

Cat pushed them behind some crates, shielding all three turtles with her wings.

The explosion shook her shell, and she looked up at the flames.

"Nobody?!"

Finding him, Cat was glad he was okay, and saw the sun beginning to rise.

"We'd better head home." Leo stated.

They hid in the sewers until Ruffington was 'escorted' away, and the three turtles headed home.

Heading in through the front door, they saw Don and Raph heading to bed.

"I'll join you…I'm beat…" Cat agreed, pulling her wings and tail away.

They all met in the middle of the lair on the way to their rooms, when Splinter's door opened.

He came out with a yawn, and seemed surprised to see them up.

"Oh, good. You are up. Now that you are rested, let us resume our work out."

Silence…

Then the four boys collapsed…

Cat felt her shoulders droop.

"…Where the shell is the Gatorade…"


	57. Chapter 57

They were jumping across the rooftops

They were jumping across the rooftops.

"Okay, guys! The name of the game is Ninjitsu Stealth and Heightened Senses." Leo ordered.

"Or, as we like ta call it…" Raph started.

"Hide and Seek!" Mikey finished with a large smile.

Cat disappeared into the shadows, smirking as she saw a lonely Don on the rooftop.

"So, I guess this means I'm it…" He muttered.

If Cat was anything, she was the best hider.

With her extra stealth and balance training made her the unspoken winner of Hide and Seek.

Mikey even jokingly called her the Princess of Stealth after she'd found him for the fifth time in a row after all her brothers went searching for her for about two hours.

He found his brothers easily, and Cat hid behind a wall.

"Donnie, I think you're missing the point of the exercise." Leo scolded.

"What? My senses are heightened…with night-vision goggles."

Raph and Mikey jumped up.

"What do ya say we heighten yer sense 'a pain?"

Cat jumped between them.

"Whoa! No pain!" Cat scolded, slapping both sharply upside the head.

"If you guys were better at hiding, he wouldn't have found you."

"Yer just sayin' that 'cause ya weren't caught."

"Yeah. You're the Princess of Stealth!" Mikey added.

Don's Shell Cell started ringing, and he answered.

"Hello?"

Cat heard a ringing, and her skin rippled to scales for a moment as she covered her ears and ground her teeth.

"Ah! Another wrong number…Somebody keeps trying to fax me or something…"

Helicopters passed over them, and they moved towards the edge of the roof.

"Something's going down in Central Park." Leo noted.

Don pulled out special binoculars, checking everything out.

"…Triceratons?"

"Uh…Don…" Mikey stated, tapping his brother on the shoulder.

The helicopters seemed to be lifting up a Triceraton ship and flying away with it.

"Some kind of Foot activity." Don concluded.

"Let's check it out." Leo ordered.

Hiding in the trees, Cat watched the activity below.

"Some kind of scavenging operation…" Mikey noted.

"Look at all the alien tech they're grabbin'." Raph added.

"Something's not right…" Cat muttered.

"Yeah, they're cleaning everything up…" Don agreed.

"No…"

Cat pulled out her blades.

"…I mean something's not right…"

Foot surrounded her as others surrounded her brothers.

"Well, well! It's been so long!"

Cat twirled her blades expertly, smirking.

"Who wants to go first?"

With a stomp, the tree shook, sending the Foot ninja falling to the ground, Cat jumping after them.

"Can't even keep your footing on a tree?"

Cat clicked her tongue.

"Pity you guys haven't gotten much better…"

Her brothers were getting their shells handed to them, so Cat slammed her palms onto the ground, sending a shockwave through the ground and jolting all the ninja.

When Raph got tied to a tree by a chain, Cat ran to free him.

With a powerful jump, she kicked a ninja straight out of the air, cutting the chain at the same time.

"Hey, Raphie. Maybe you should watch your shell. I can't be everywhere at once."

Cat smirked mischievously.

"…ACTUALLY…"

Her hands became blurs.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Making nine clones, they spread out to hold off the Foot ninja.

The sounds of helicopters caught everyone's attention, and they hid like ninja should.

They found a spot under a stone bridge, and Cat growled slightly.

"What the shell was that all about?!"

"Two words. Alien technology." Raph replied.

"Right…there's ton of it lying around since the invasion…" Leo agreed.

"And the Shredder has all the salvage rights." Cat stated.

They headed for a great, going into the sewers.

"With all that money, he must have a bunch of new friends." Cat muttered.

"Whatever the Shredder's up to with all that alien tech, it can't be good…" Leo stated.

"Question is, how do we stop him?"

"The old wooden clog in the machine. Sabotage." Don replied.

"You mean break stuff?" Mikey asked.

"Now yer talkin' words I understand…"

Cat smirked.

"You're talking about my specialty. I LOVE sabotage…"

"Those helicopters headed for the waterfront!" Leo noted.

"Let's check it out!"

They even had to swim in the river, and surfaced to a fallen Tri-Base.

"Looks like the Foot are already here…" Leo stated.

"Let's see if we can't slow down their salvaging operation."

"Permanently." Raph added to his purple-banded brother's statement.

They swam inside, and walked through the topsy-turvy hallways.

"Water, water everywhere…" Cat muttered.

"Elevator, going down!" Mikey called, sliding down using his 'chuck.

"Mikey!" Cat called sharply.

He jumped off.

"Keep it down, Mikey!" Don ordered.

Cat jumped onto a sideways doorway, forcing it open.

"Whoa! Look at this!"

Raph jumped up beside her.

"We could have one heck 'a a Fourth 'a July with these fireworks!"

"You know what I think? I think we just found out how we're going to keep the Tri-Base tech out of the Shredder's hands."

"I like your thinking, aniki." Cat agreed.

Running around the whole base, they saw Foot salvaging.

"So THAT'S what they're after…The Tri-Base power core…" Don concluded.

"Doesn't look so dangerous to me…" Mikey noted.

"You can't always trust your eyes, Mikey. See beneath the underneath." Cat lectured lightly, smiling.

"She's right. There's enough juice in that thing to wipe out the entire city!" Don added.

"Most of New Jersey, too…"

"We can take 'em out easy. They're not ninja, just flunkies." Raph stated, jumping down.

When him and Mikey got their shells kicked, Cat put up her guard and jumped down, a hurricane kick making three fly right off the power core.

Cat jumped on the back of one using a chainsaw on Don, and slapped the palms of her hands to his temples.

"They fight like Karai!" Leo shouted.

"So she trained these losers?" Cat asked, ducking and elbowing one coming from behind.

"Apparently, she's still working for the Shredder." Leo added.

"Lucky us." Raph replied.

Leo cut the power core free, and it slammed back into place.

"Careful with that thing!" Don scolded, jumping down to join the blue-banded turtle.

"Unless you want to vaporize everything within a hundred mile radius!"

"So how do we keep Shredder's goons from coming back for it?"

"By making it inoperable. We'll need something to short out it's circuitry…something like…"

Don smirked.

"Oh KITTY…"

The white-banded turtle landed beside her brother, army salute and smile in place.

"You called, genius?"

"We're in need of your special sabotaging expertise."

Cat's hands sparked.

"Where do you want me, bro?"

"Here."

Cat put her hands on it, and she flew back, palms smoking.

"…Sorry, bro…I don't want another overload…"

"Then we'll need something else…like…"

Water dripped down, and it smoked.

"Water. Salt water. And lots of it."

With some help, they put explosives around the Tri-Base so that they would open the floodgates and destroy all the tech in there.

The last one was placed, and the timer was put on.

"It's set for one tri-gon. About ten minutes, by my calculations." Don stated.

"Plenty of time for us to get out." Leo assured.

Cat felt a tingle race up her spine as her skin rippled to scales.

Robots came in through a hole in the wall.

"Well…this is something new…" Don stated.

Weapons were drawn by the robots, and Cat felt her claws and fangs start growing in.

"Karai?"

"A LOT 'a Karai."

"Karai triplets!"

Cat grabbed a chain heading for her.

"Then lets finish them!"

Cat pulled the chain, and jumped forward, her claws going through a chest.

Throwing the robot over her shoulder, Cat growled when a blade swung at her.

Trying to keep her brothers from being chopped up, Cat felt everything quake as the explosives went off.

Running, she sprouted wings and started flapping, water rushing in and a robot running after them before it was sucked under the surface.

The four turtles got caught up in the current, and Cat grabbed hold of a couple boys, trying to lift them out.

"Come on, guys! Lighten the load!" She whined, pulling Mikey and Don up a bit more.

The water started pulling, and Cat was pulled into the water.

"Hey! Wings and wet don't mix, bro!"

"Everybody okay?" Leo asked.

"Yeah…we just need to get out of here…" Cat muttered.

"Okay, up here! It's the only way out of the chamber!" Don stated, and the four started climbing.

Cat shook her wings and started flying up.

"Hurry up before I carry you up!"

"Guys, hurry! Before the water fries the power core!"

"…HURRY UP!!"

Steam rose as it started to fry.

"Robots!" Cat warned.

Her brothers slid under the robots, kicking them into the water.

"Good job, guys."

Something kicked her shell, and she flew into the topsy-turvy walkway plastron-first.

'Shell!'

Raph skewered the hand when it tried to attack Mikey, and hit it's weapon out of the robotic hands.

Leo cut it in half, but the dangerous water was rising.

"MOVE!!"

Cat started flying.

Running through vents and walkways, everything started to flip again, and two more Karai robots came back to try and KILL them.

Suddenly, they sparked and shut down, smoking, and fell into the room…

Full of explosives…

"…Guys…RUN!!"

Jumping out of the only exit, fire and smoke flew out after them.

Cat glided as her brothers dove into the water.

A speedboat came, Karai on it.

Cat bared her fangs in a silent warning.

'Don't you dare…'

"No, my lord. I am afraid they got away…"

Karai drove away.

'…Maybe…she's not so bad…' Cat admitted in her thoughts.

Lifting Mikey onto her back, she started flying back to shore, ready to head back for the others one by one.

'…Maybe I haven't given her the benefit of the doubt…'


	58. Chapter 58

Visiting April's was always something Cat enjoyed

Visiting April's was always something Cat enjoyed.

Being her first and only female friend, April had kind of found a place in the white-banded turtle's heart as an older sister.

And once you found your place in her heart, you had a friend and protector for life.

Flipping over the edge of the roof and landing lightly in front of the door to antique shop, Cat looked around before giving her brothers the signal.

They walked inside, and the silence made her look around.

'Where's April? And why's the back door open?'

"April? Anybody home?" Leo called.

Cat felt her senses prick, and a familiar scream made her ears ring…

"APRIL!!"

"She's in trouble!"

Cat bolted for the back alley, Don right at her shell, and pulled out her blades.

'Someone's getting hurt tonight!'

Running out, the darkness met her first, though Cat's eyes easily adjusted to the gloom.

Seeing April wielding a bat, Cat smirked at the other figure before putting away her blades.

Leo reached up, screwing the light bulb back in, and everyone saw April standing over Casey with a bat.

"Easy, April! It's only me!"

April glared.

"Casey?! What do you think you're doing?! That has to be the dumbest thing in the history of dumbest things anyone could ever do!!"

Raph and Leo helped the vigilante up.

"What were you thinking?!"

"I was thinkin' that I'm glad it's just a whiffle bat…"

Cat rolled her eyes, covering her eyes with her hand.

"No!! I mean WHY would you do such a thing?!" April reworded, throwing the bat aside and heading for the door, her back turned.

"Ya asked me ta, remember?"

"I did not!"

Cat felt a headache coming on.

'Some men are just idiots…'

"Sure ya did! Remember when ya were bragging 'bout yer ninja fightin' skills, so I said 'I'd better sneak up on ya sometime and see how good ya's was,' and ya said that it sounded like an 'interestin' idea'."

Cat's eye twitched.

'…Yep…Idiot…'

April seemed ready to change the subject.

"So, how are you guys doing? I was about to make some hot chocolate. I can easily make enough for six."

Cat caught the slight stress on 'six', and smiled slightly.

The turtles filed in, and April counted them off.

"One, two, three, four, five…"

The redhead smirked, pointing at herself.

"Six."

The door closed shut on Casey's face, and Cat almost couldn't contain a giggle.

'Let's see if he tries a stunt like THAT again…'

Cat heard Casey's head smack into the door as she headed up to the apartment, and shook her head in amusement as she secretly grabbed Raph's hand.

Mikey plopped down on the couch, comic book in hand, as Leo sat beside him.

Raph took the armchair, while Don sat on a footrest.

Not wanting to move her brothers from their seats this time, Cat settled on the floor, leaning her shell on Raph's legs.

"Do you think Casey will be okay out there?" Mikey asked, nonchalantly flipping a page.

Don's Shell Cell rang at that moment.

"Maybe that's him now." Leo stated.

"Bone head…" Raph muttered playfully.

Cat smiled slightly, playing with the braided tails of her mask.

A ringing from the phone, made her flinch back, closing her eyes as if to shut out the noise, when Don hung up.

"It's like someone's trying to send me a fax…"

"That Casey gets me so MAD…" April fumed, putting the hot chocolate on the table with a tray.

"What are ya talkin' 'bout, April? Ya totally clobbered 'im!" Raph stated, getting up and going to claim his hot chocolate as Cat bounced up and raced ahead of him.

"…Well…it's just…I really thought I was getting somewhere in my training with Master Splinter…"

Cat accepted the hot drink, sitting down.

Nursing the drink, she enjoyed the warmth that spread through her veins with every sip she took.

"…But Casey caught me totally by surprise…I should've heard him coming…you guys would have…"

"It takes years of training and living with these four to master something like that." Cat assured.

"Splinter trained us for years to be 'aware of our surroundings at all times'. After a while, if you study hard enough, you get a sixth sense for it." Leo explained.

"I must have four other senses in order to keep up with all of you…" Cat stated playfully.

"…Maybe YOU guys could help me with my ninja training…"

The boys looked at each other, and Cat smiled in memory as she sipped her drink.

"NO way!"

"Why not? I'm a quick learner!" April retorted indignantly, standing up.

"It's not you, April. It's them. Last time they tried to play 'sensei'…things didn't turn out too well…" Cat explained.

"You're only saying that 'cause you actually did it right!" Mikey whined.

"…I know…"

"We thought we could teach this kid…but we were still kids ourselves." Raph stated.

"Raph, that's no way to tell a story! Here, let me do it!"

Mikey seemed to prepare himself.

"It was a dark and stormy night, in a galaxy far, far away…"

"Mikey…" Cat and Raph warned.

"Uh…I mean…Many moons ago, on a night much like this one, we were four young turtle tots facing the most horrible of dangerous dangers…"

He did a fake drum roll.

"The wrath of Master Splinter!"

Cat rolled her eyes.

'Drama queen…'

"We were warned. We knew what we were NOT supposed to be doing." Leo added.

Cat heard the replay of every single time Master Splinter told them NEVER to go topside…

"So, what did you guys do?" April questioned.

"…We went topside."

"Once we got the lid off." Don added.

"Little did we know that, around the corner, destiny called!"

Mikey cleared his throat as Cat gave him an irritated look.

"Actually, it was a kid that needed help…"

"Yeah. We'd been playing in the alley, laughing and having a good time, when the little gang chased him in. We'd hidden under the dumpster, so we weren't seen, but we saw the kid get a bad beating." Cat continued.

A smirk flitted across her face.

"Some flying trash can lids and garbage bags from the shadows scared some of them off, but their leader didn't leave till his mommy called."

"That's when young Master Leo here decided we should help the kid out." Mikey stated.

"To train him, so he wouldn't need little green guardian angels all the time." Don explained.

"We thought we knew everything there was to know about Ninjitsu. So how hard could teaching be?" Leo added.

"And it had ta be better than bein' stuck in the sewers doin' nothin'."

"So we decided to take turns teaching him what we knew, and drew straws. Leo was first, then Mikey, Donnie, Raph and me. While Leo here went to help him out, we headed back to the sewers to distract Master Splinter. Mikey and Don were sparring, and I was trying to keep Master Splinter's attention there when he said it was Leo's turn…"

Cat sighed.

"Well, you can kind of guess that he wasn't there at the moment…"

"Scared us shell-less when Master Splinter nearly found out." Mikey added.

"It was a good thing I got back in time…"

"Then it was MY turn!"

"And the apocalypse came as Mikey began to teach…"

"HEY…"

"After what I suspect was a horrible beating as the poor kid tried to yell Gorugoru-sama…MICHELANGELO…It was Donnie's turn." Cat continued.

"It must've been pretty bad…Raph said the poor kid was having a headache when he got there for his turn…"

"Hey! It wasn't so bad! …He just couldn't think of a move, is all…" Don defended.

"Now RAPH'S lesson actually made me smack my forehead into a wall in frustration… 'It's all about the weapons'…If it is, why do I keep beating you at hand-to-sai, Raphie?"

Cat dodged the good-natured punch with a short laugh.

"We were back in the lair at the time, and sensei was ready to put us into pairs for sparring. That's when he kinda noticed Raph was gone…"

"That's when genius here said Raph was in the shower…" Mikey stated.

"I couldn't think of anything else! I'm not made of excuses!"

"I think Master Splinter was catching on, so we went to get Raph, and actually covered him with water before sensei saw him. We just forgot about his mask..."

Raph shrugged.

"He kinda bought it, at least…"

Cat smiled.

"Then it was MY turn…"

Flashback:

Wearing the old clothes and hat, Cat walked over to the young boy.

"Well, I suspect you've learned a lot, but…just in case, let's review…"

As the boy stated what he'd learned, Cat nearly smacked herself.

'Baka-Baka-Baka! What are they thinking?'

"Well, I have something important to tell you. Everyone's fighting styles are different, just like every person is different. You need to find your own style and your own…battle cry…"

'…Mikey, I can't BELIEVE you…'

"The basics of the art are most important to know. Such as how to punch correctly, or kick."

Stepping back, she smiled.

"Like this."

Demonstrating a snap kick and then turning to demonstrate a roundhouse punch, she tried to explain the proper technique.

"Try to strike more with her palm than your fingers, unless you want some broken bones, and kicks are meant to stun, so don't put too much force or you'll sprain something."

Trying to adjust the kids own efforts, she realized her time was up.

"Keep practicing. I'll be right back!"

Switching places with her blue-banded brother, who sent the boy out to face the gang, she joined the others.

"Well, he should be fine. You guys covered basic self-defense, right?" Leo questioned.

Cat raised her hand proudly.

"I did!"

"…No one else?"

The others smiled sheepishly.

Cat would've said something had a familiar shadow not fallen over them.

"…Oh…hey, sensei…" She greeted sheepishly.

"Um, Master Splinter, we can explain-!" Leo started.

"We've been teaching!" Don added.

"Like you! …But not as good as you…"

"You know, like trying to follow in your footsteps."

Cat stepped back, not wanting to sugar-coat anything and make everything worse.

"There's this kid, an'…uh…"

"Enough!" The elderly rat cut in.

"Home. Now."

"But…the kid…" Raph stated.

"We can't just abandon him!" Mikey added.

"You are not ready to teach! You could do more damage than good! The boy must find his own path, as you must find yours. Now come. We are going home."

End Flashback:

Cat couldn't help a laugh along with the others.

"Oh MAN! Was Splinter ANGRY!" Mikey stated.

"He must've made us practice for seventy-eight hours straight!" Leo added.

"I think he was trying to make us so tired we wouldn't be able to go topside!"

"So, whatever happened to this kid?" April asked.

The five turtles shared a look.

"You know…I don't know…" Leo admitted.

'Maybe we'll never know…I just hope that kid turned out alright…'


	59. Chapter 59

With the joy only Christmas could bring, Cat flew around the lair, putting up decorations

With the joy only Christmas could bring, Cat flew around the lair, putting up decorations.

April came in, smiling as the female turtle hummed a classic Christmas song.

Casey lugged in the tree behind her as Splinter turned to them.

"Ah, April. You have returned."

"With the tree, as promised. We had to go to three different lots, but they were all sold out."

"Hey, don't worry 'bout me! I don't need help 'ere nothin'!" Casey stated sarcastically.

Cat giggled, swooping down and relieving him of the weight.

"Thanks, Kitty."

"It's all in the holiday spirit." She replied, flying it to the tree stand they'd set up.

"Perhaps we had best start cooking the dinner…" Splinter stated.

"Count me in! Cooking the holiday dinner is almost as fun as eating it!" April agreed.

"Well, that's not what Mikey would say." Leo stated, putting down the tree blanket around the stand so Cat could put down the tree.

"Hey, where is that bozo, anyway?" Raph questioned.

Don carried up the box of Christmas tree decorations.

"Come on, it's Christmas Eve! Even Mikey couldn't get in trouble on a night like tonight!"

"Unless he stops by the toy store…"

Cat grabbed an ornament with her tail.

"Again…"

Cat smiled when April called from the kitchen.

"Wait for me! I'm making my special double-fudge chocolate cake again this year!"

Three mouths seemed to water.

"Thank you, God…"

Cat laughed slightly, punching Don lightly on the arm.

"You guys think with your stomachs too much."

As she started mixing it, Don made the Christmas cookies.

Once those went into the oven, he went to offer the bowl to anyone who'd want any.

Apparently, Raph did…

"Raphie, you're making a mess…" Cat scolded playfully, using a finger to wipe some batter from his cheek.

Popping it into her mouth, a smile slid across her face.

"Then again, Christmas cookie batter does that to people…"

With help from Don and Leo, April set up the table, and Cat was making hot chocolate with marshmallows when Casey and Raph came back with their guests, the many homeless they had befriended and Silver Sentry.

"It's nice that you could all make it."

Cat folded her wings behind her shell politely, smiling.

"Merry Christmas, everyone!" April greeted.

"And happy Kwanza! Thank you for inviting us." The professor replied.

"You are welcome in our home." Splinter assured.

"I made hot chocolate with marshmallows. I heard its pretty cold out."

"It is. And thank you, Caterina."

Don shivered slightly.

"Not much better below ground…"

A wing wrapped around him.

"At least I've got two heated blankets attached to my shoulders, huh bro?"

"So, where's my sidekick? Where's the Turtle Titan? I thought Michelangelo would be here."

Cat smiled warmly.

"He'll be here as soon as he can. He went out for a little walk."

They went to decorate the tree, and Cat used her tail to hold the next ornaments she was going to put up.

She heard Casey say something, and turned around.

"Well, well…look whose stuck under the mistletoe…"

Cat sighed.

'Too bad it's connected to Casey…'

Cat went to stand under Raph and Angel, and smiled up at them.

"Hey, guys. What are you up to?"

Raph jumped down, smirking.

"Just spreadin' the love, Kitten."

"Right…"

Cat sighed, about to turn around.

"Hey, wait. Here's some mistletoe…"

A giggle escaped her as she blushed.

"Aw, you're sweet. Come here."

When their lips touched, a bright light came from the pool in the lair, and they turned to see a portal.

Out came the Daimyo, Usagi, and his friend Gen.

Usagi and Leo exchanged swords as presents, and Cat walked up to greet the newest guests.

"Hey, Gen. Come back for another butt-whooping?"

"I'm sorry, but I wouldn't want to hurt your poor shoulder…"

The mocking in his tone made her glare, and Cat touched the teeth marks on her left shoulder.

"See if you can, rhino boy."

"Caterina."

Cat backed down only slightly.

"…Hai, sensei…"

"Now come. All are welcome at our table."

"Of course. Unless the lady disagrees."

Cat's smile was fake and sugary sweet.

"Why, of course you can. It should be an honor for you to sit with a Battle Nexus Champion."

Leo rolled his eyes.

"Don't even try to out-wit her, Gen. It won't work. She'll have you chasing your own behind in five minutes."

"That happened to Mikey a few years ago." Don added.

Cat scooped up the little white kitten that had just woken from a nap in her room.

"Hey, Yuki-chan. Have a nice sleep, girl?"

Scratching Yuki's head affectionately, she put out the cat food before going to check on the double-fudge chocolate cake.

Casey and Silver Sentry were arm-wrestling, but it was obvious who was winning.

When the match ended abruptly, Casey was accidentally thrown through the air.

"Forgive me, Mr. Jones. I don't know my own strength sometimes."

Raph even tried to help on the next round, but both were flung through the air.

Cat smirked, sitting down.

"My turn, boys."

"Kitten, ya might not be able ta…"

"Kitty, if me and Raph can't do it, 'a course ya can't!"

Violet eyes danced with mocking confidence.

"We'll see about that, tough guy."

Grasping each others hands, April told them to start.

At first, both using most of their strength, they were even.

Cat smirked.

"You lose."

Silver Sentry's fist hit the table before he was flung through the air.

Cat stood up.

"You okay, buddy?"

"I'm fine…"

Cat turned a cocky smirk to Casey.

"And WHO doubted the turtle with super strength?"

Leo and Don pointed at Casey.

"And isn't it AMAZING that he was wrong?" Cat stated sarcastically, but she had a playful tone.

"You want to give it a try, April?"

"Sure."

"Now I KNOW April can't do it!" Casey stated.

"Look beneath the underneath. Right, sensei?"

"Correct, my daughter."

When April sent Silver Sentry flying, she walked past Casey proudly.

"You were saying, Casey Jones?"

Everyone sat around the table, and Cat's scales rattled in impatience and annoyance.

'Mikey, move your shell before I find you and rip it OFF…'

"Where is he? I'm tempted to go and get him…" Cat muttered, tail swaying as Yuki started playing with it.

"Okay, we'll give Mikey another five minutes, but that's it!" April stated.

"The cake'll get cold…"

"…Oh, the TURTLEMANITY…"

"…Leo, don't do that…you sounded like Mikey…"

The front door opened.

"Hello, everybody! Meet my new friend, Klunk!"

Cat turned as Yuki bolted to meet the slightly bigger orange kitten in Mikey's hands.

"Where have you been?" Leo questioned.

"Our guests have been waiting. You've been very rude." Master Splinter scolded.

"I know, I'm sorry. But you're not going to BELIEVE what happened!"

"Mikey, we don't wanna hear some lame story." Raph retorted.

"Ah-Ah-Ah, Raph. Remember, this is the season of giving!"

"Yeah, and I'm thinkin' 'a givin' ya a well-seasoned smack ta the head!"

"Guys, it's Christmas Eve! It's a time to remember those less fortunate than ourselves! In fact, it's a time not to think of ourselves at all! And I have just the ticket…"

--

They were at the orphanage, and giving the children the toys Mikey had 'saved', and they played and comforted as some kids chased the two happy kittens.

The turtles were dressed as elves, Cat having smacked Mikey for the, if she didn't have a plastron, revealing outfit.

Raph seconded the smack…

Casey got his mistletoe kiss, and Splinter, dressed as Santa, had two kids on his lap.

"My children, I believe Michelangelo is right. This is definitely the time of thinking of others. The season of giving."

Cat smiled, a child on her shoulders.

"Happy holidays, everyone!"


	60. Chapter 60

"Donnie, yer techno-geek midnight brainstorms have gotta stop

"Donnie, yer techno-geek midnight brainstorms have gotta stop!" Raph whined.

"Are you kidding me? By the time we're done, the Battle Shell will be sweeter than-."

A banging caught everyone's attention.

"Guys! Guys, are you in there?"

Cat went to the door, scooping up Klunk and Yuki, as Raph lifted the door open.

"Guys, you've gotta help me!"

"Angel? What's wrong?" Cat questioned worriedly.

"Something terrible has happened!"

When Angel latched onto Mikey, they knew something was up.

"Into the Battle Shell, all of you!" Cat ordered.

After they piled in, and Don started driving.

"Where are we going?"

"Wall Street and Hanover!"

"Take the West Side Highway." Leo ordered.

"What's all this about?" Cat asked.

Angel held out a gold coin with a strange design on it.

"…Whoa…"

"Gold? No way!" Mikey stated in disbelief, snatching it from the girl.

"Angel, where'd ya get a gold coin?" Raph questioned.

"My brother gave it to me. He found it at the construction job he was working at."

"It's dated 1611." Mikey noted.

"Your brother found buried treasure?"

"I told him not to go back! I told him I had a bad feeling about it! That was three days ago...Since then…nothing…"

Cat put a sympathetic hand on the girls shoulder.

"What about the police?" Leo asked.

"They said they were too busy with the fallout from the invasion to look for some punk on a treasure hunt…"

Angel hugged Cat tight, burying her face in the green shoulder.

"It's okay, kid…We'll find yer bro…" Raph promised, looking sympathetic.

"Don't worry, Angel…You're my friend, so you won't have to worry about getting him back…"

The white-banded turtle smiled reassuringly.

"…I know how important brothers are…and I don't want anyone to feel that loss…"

Turning into a side road, the Battle Shell stopped.

"This is it!"

Cat looked up at it.

"…Um…CREEPY…"

"Yeah…talk about creepy central!" Mikey agreed.

Walking in through the front door, Cat's senses went up.

"I don't get it…what building on Wall Street has no security?" Don questioned.

"Guys!"

They turned to Mikey, and he was looking at the sculpture of a head.

It was a man with the same last name as the building, with 1616 chiseled into the stand.

"Man, could this place be any more like Castle Dracula?"

"You have come…"

Cat felt herself sprout wings that bristled and a tail that stiffened as a snarl rumbled in her throat.

"Who said that?" Angel questioned in a near panic.

"What? You okay, Angel? Cat?"

Leo seemed worried.

"I-It's probably just my imagination…I'm just freaked out…" Angel reasoned, more with herself than the turtles.

"Angel, stay close…" Cat ordered in a soft voice, feeling her fangs grow in.

"Come to me…Find the way…"

Cat looked around, eyes sharp, when Angel started walking off.

'What's this…tugging feeling?'

Cat stepped after the young girl.

Her sensitive senses caught something, and she pulled a tapestry away from the wall.

Angel pressed the pyramid on the symbol that had been hidden, and secret stairs opened in the floors.

Everyone looked down.

"Angel, Cat…how did you…?"

"I don't know…I just sorta…"

"Knew it was there." Cat finished.

"Right."

Warily, they went down the steps, and came out in a strange tunnel.

The walls and floor were brick, but water and what seemed to be muck and mildew covered most of it from sight.

"…Ew…"

The torches gave just enough light to see by, and Cat watched every shadow like it might jump at them.

Angel stayed near Mikey's shell, and they came to what seemed like a red spherical door.

"Whoa…ladies and gentleman, welcome to Creepsville…"

"What's it say, Don?" Leo questioned.

"It's Italian. It says 'Abandon all hope, he who enter here'."

"See? What did I tell you? CREEPY!"

"Yeah? Well, check THIS out…"

Cat followed Raph's gesture.

"…Skeleton…dead body…EW…"

"We've gotta find my brother! He's gotta be in here!"

Angel ran for the large door.

"Angel, no!" Leo called.

Angel started pushing on the door, and a light glowed.

Cat felt her scales rattle like wind chimes as a similar light came to life in the skeleton's eyes.

"Uh…guys…"

Everything was bathed in a red light as corpses came to life, walking towards them.

"…OPEN THE DOOR!!"

"Is it just me, or is this WAY off the creepy-meter?" Mikey asked.

Fighting corpses would've been nicer if they didn't still move afterwards…

"There's something seriously wrong here. You can hit them, but they just keep coming!" Don stated.

"AND there's more of them! LOOK!" Mikey stated.

"You fools! You can not kill the dead!"

Cat looked up at the old man with the lantern.

"Run! You must follow me!"

Herding her brothers towards the stairs, Cat growled at the corpses.

'If they weren't dead already, I'd-!'

"KITTEN!!"

"I'M COMING!!"

Once out of the stairs, they were shut off from the undead.

"What the SHELL is going on around here?" Raph questioned angrily.

"Silence! You should not have come here! But it's too late now…You have gone too far…There is no going back! If you truly wish answers to your questions, follow me…"

The old man headed for the large staircase, the lantern shining bright.

They all followed him, and ended up in a room with a fireplace and books.

"Um, sir? Aren't you the least bit freaked out?" Don questioned, confused.

"I mean…seeing us…"

"I've seen many strange things in my life, very little surprises me. But know this, the money you seek will never be yours. It is baited and trapped. Only a gruesome fate awaits those who go after it."

"We're not here for the money. We're looking for my brother. Tall, brown hair." Angel stated.

"He found this coin here and came back looking for more." Leo explained, pulling out the gold coin from his belt.

"That would've been about three days ago."

"Yes, he was here…"

The old man took the coin.

"I gave him the same warning I give them all. But he ignored me. He went through the golden door and will never return."

"Then we'll just have ta go in there an' get 'im." Raph stated simply.

"Ignoramus. Perhaps you will change your mind if you learn something of what you'll find there."

The old man pulled out a dusty book and put it onto a table.

"…Thanks for instigating, Raph…Like I want to know what horrors will await us…" Cat muttered.

"A thousand years ago, something fell to Earth. A meteorite. It brought with it a creature of terrible evil and insatiable hunger. It gave promises of great wealth and power. The creature lured greed to its side. Fortunately, the native people proved too strong of character. In fact, they created a weapon to protect themselves from the creature. A weapon made from the glowing red stone of the meteor itself. But, before the natives could slay the creature of the meteor, the call of the creature had reached across the sea and called across a race of men hungry with greed for the gold of the New World! One such man was C.F. Boldefart. He took the land by force, and his fortune grew. His dark legacy endured, and the ancient creature from the stars thrived. It was no accident that the financial capital for this entire nation surrounds this very place. This building."

Cat sighed.

"But what about you? How do you fit into this?" Leo questioned.

"I…I am his heir…I vowed to destroy the creature…and lift the curse from my family…But…I was too weak…Too long under its influence, no matter how much I wanted to end its cursed life…I could not…"

He turned to them.

"Do you still wish to face this beast?"

Cat squared her shoulders and her eyes hardened.

"We're going in. Angel's brother is in there somewhere, and I promised her I'd bring him back. I don't go back on my word."

"…We don't have a choice…" Leo agreed.

"We have ta…"

"You have courage. Here."

The old man handed them an old spear.

"The meteor spear. May it serve you in your time of need."

Cat took the spear, nodding.

"Thank you."

Heading back, Cat turned when Angel ran up.

"Sorry, Angel. You've got to stay here where it's safe." Leo ordered.

"Please…find my brother…"

Cat nodded, smiling reassuringly.

"I told you not to worry. We'll get him."

Descending into the dark hallway again, Cat glared as the red light turned on and the corpses stood up again.

Cat twirled the spear.

"Back off!"

The corpses moved back, as if in pain.

"Yeah, you'd better move!" Cat warned, and she walked straight to the door.

Her brothers were at her shell, not wanting to get caught alone by undead corpses.

The door opened, and Cat took a deep breath before walking through.

"You guys buy that old man's story?" Raph questioned.

"After the walking corpses, I pretty much do…" Cat replied.

The room the hall led to was large, with a meteor on a stand with fire spewing up at it.

"Whoa…I guess that's the meteor the old man told us about…" Don noted.

"Guys, over here!" Leo called.

"What are these?"

Cat looked up at them.

"Um…beats me…"

Leo cut one open, showing a corpse and paper.

"This is a civil war bond." Don informed.

"This guy must be one hundred and fifty years old."

"There are thousands of these things…if Angel's brother ended up in here…"

Cat sighed.

'Can't lose hope. Come on, Cat.'

Red tentacles came out of the tunnels, and Cat stopped, wings outstretched.

"Guys!"

As they fought off the red tentacles, they were grabbed one by one.

"MIKEY!! RAPH!! DONNIE!! LEO!!"

Cat was knocked back, and it wrapped around her waist and chest.

"LET GO!!"

The spear was dropped, and her tail lashed around.

Suddenly…Cat wasn't there anymore…

'Where am I?' She thought in confusion, sitting up.

The dirt walls and rock floor were familiar, and Cat stood.

"Leo?! Donnie?! Mikey?!"

Looking around, she felt her heart hammer her ribcage like a large bird trying to escape a cage.

"…Raphie?"

A sound reached her ears, and her dragon wings rustled as Cat turned around to identify the source.

"Donnie!"

The purple-banded turtle was hidden in the shadow, and the light seemed to only reach his face.

The pained look on his face made her smile fall and worry fill her features.

"You okay, bro? Did something happen?"

Her brother stepped out of the shadows…

"Oh my God…DONNIE!"

Cut and bleeding, Cat felt her heart nearly stop when she saw the crater in his plastron…

Right over his heart…

She ran over as he fell to his knees, catching him and turning him onto his shell.

Tears stung her eyes, but only a few escaped.

"Donnie-boy, you'll be okay…you'll be okay…"

Putting pressure on the wound, she felt the crimson stain her hands, arms, plastron and face.

"K-Kitty…why?"

"Wh-Why what?" Cat asked curiously, nearly blinded by the held-in tears.

"…Wh-Why did you try to kill me?"

Freezing, her eyes widened and she shook her head in denial.

"I didn't! I-I couldn't!"

"K-Kitty, you did…y-you tried to kill us all…"

The tears broke from their confines and streamed down her cheeks.

"I-I wouldn't…I c-couldn't…"

The light began leaving his eyes, and Cat softly begged him to hold on.

"…Y-You failed, Kitty…"

His last breath made icy words ghost across her skin…

"You let the monster out…"

Heart twisting and bleeding, Cat bowed her head and let the tears and sobs loose, her tears mingling with the blood on her cheeks.

"Kitty…"

Violet eyes snapped up, seeing a familiar face.

"Mikey! Please tell me you're okay!"

"…N-No thanks to you…"

She didn't understand until she saw him…

Her heart seemed to be in knots as she saw the blood falling from the stump where his left arm used to be…

"Oh dear lord…" Cat breathed, shock immobilizing her for a moment.

Mikey fell to his knees with a grunt, and Cat bolted towards him.

She narrowly dodged a 'chuck heading for her head, and took a step back to give him a surprised, confused look.

"D-Don't come any closer!"

It pierced Cat's heart to see the terror on his face, mingling with the pain.

"But I can help!" She pleaded desperately.

"You just want the chance to finish me off without a fight!"

"I wouldn't! I'm your sister!"

"But the monster in you isn't!"

Cat felt the tears come back.

"I won't let it hurt you, otouto…"

"…You already did…"

Mikey doubled over in pain, and she stepped forwards only to have a shadow block her path.

"Sensei?"

"Stay back!"

"B-But…"

"You will not hurt them!"

"I won't! I want to help! Please!"

She jumped back as a walking stick threatened to crack her ribs.

Another shadow joined the elderly rat.

"Leo!"

"How could you, Cat? How could you try to kill us? In cold blood?"

"You know I couldn't! It wasn't me!"

"It was the darkness in you, and in order to destroy it, we must kill you."

Cat's blood ran cold.

"Sensei…father…don't…"

She backed up as Leo drew his katana.

"Daddy…aniki…"

She choked back the sobs trying to bubble up from her breaking heart.

"Please…I don't want to hurt you…"

Leo jumped at her, and Cat dodged the sharp blades.

Her tail wound around her leg and her wings folded, showing she didn't want to fight.

The katana and walking stick tried to strike fatal blows, and she dodged as best she could, her shell hitting a wall.

She was boxed in, and her fangs bit into her lip.

'I won't hurt them…I'd rather die…'

She saw Don and Mikey.

'…Maybe I deserve to die…'

"Stop!"

The familiar voice made her chest fill with warm hope.

"Raph!"

The red-banded turtle walked up with a solemn expression, never breaking eye contact.

"…I'll finish 'er…"

She felt her heart shatter like glass.

"R-Raphie…"

Pulling out his sai, he poised one over her throat.

"…Goodbye…"

"…I-I thought you loved me…"

The tears blinded her as they poured out.

"Y-You said you loved me…"

"…I thought I did…then…ya did all this…"

"…If you really loved me, you'd know it wasn't me…"

They locked eyes, and she begged silently for understanding.

"…Then I guess I don't really love ya…"

Metal caught the light as Cat closed her eyes, feeling a burning pain in her chest.

Blood splashed on her again, and she opened her eyes to find that her tail had pierced his plastron and heart.

"N-No…No…No. NO!"

The light was leaving crimson brown eyes, though the surprise and pain was still evident.

"K-Kitten…how could ya?"

"I-I…I-I didn't mean to!" She stated in a panic.

Her tail moved of its own accord, pulling itself free.

Raph fell back on his shell, and Cat kneeled beside him.

"I-I'm sorry! D-Don't leave me!"

Tears splashed onto his plastron.

"I LOVE YOU!!"

The light left his eyes, and a sob wracked her body.

Leo loomed over her, hidden in shadow, katana glinting.

Cat looked up at him with broken, watery eyes.

"Do it…at least we'll all be rid of something horrible…"

Suddenly, Cat heard Leo's voice, only more…

Distant…

"Cat, wake up! It's only a dream!"

'A dream? No…a nightmare…'

Abruptly, she opened her eyes and found herself in a sack, covered with a strange liquid.

Leo was still shaking her shoulder, but the remnants of her nightmare still clung to her, making her heart race and tears glisten on her cheeks.

"Imouto?"

Leo was worried now.

He'd never seen Cat so openly terrified since she was four and believed there was a monster in the sewers.

You could scare her, surprise her, anger her, soften her, and she'd show the emotions openly in her eyes.

Fear, terror, was hidden rather well, only showing when it had pushed her so far that she was on the breaking point.

He pulled her out carefully, holding her shaking shoulders.

"It's okay. It was only an illusion."

Nodding slightly, but still shaken, she hugged him, seeking comfort.

The instinct to be an older brother made him hug her back, trying to calm her.

"It's okay…Everything's okay…but we need to free the others…"

Nodding hesitantly, Cat released him.

Ripping open the sacks and helping out the others, Cat brushed off the strange liquid.

They all grouped up, nearly completely cleaned off.

"The creature was messing with our minds somehow…" Leo guessed.

'It made me see that…Made my heart break…'

"Let's just find Angel's brother an' get outta 'ere!" Raph stated.

"When I saw your sacks, they were glowing…something to do with the creatures power…" Leo informed.

Cat looked around intently, and saw a red glow.

"Over there!"

Running towards it, she cut the sack open with her claws.

Raph and Leo lifted out the unconscious body, and everybody headed for the exit.

Angel's brother woke up along the way, and he was instantly wary of them.

"What are you?"

"We're just really weird hallucinations. Now let's get outta 'ere!"

The hall quaked, and Cat grabbed the red-banded turtle's hand.

"'Fere it's too late!"

Tentacles came out of the many tunnels, forcing them back to the main room with the meteor.

Cat snarled, wings bristling in indignant rage as she grew claws.

Grappling with one, she slashed it apart viciously before jumping on another.

Seeing her brother's get their shell knocked around, she jumped for the meteor spear.

Once she got a hold of it and flipped to her feet, the ground shook and cracked.

A strange, squid-like creature with a human-like body burst from the ground before her, a glowing red eye in its forehead.

"Feel my power! See my strength! You can not fight me! You can not win! If you serve me, I will give you cities! I will give you power and wealth! I will give you the world…"

Cat gripped the rough wood tighter.

"…You made me believe I'd destroyed my whole world…"

Fiery violet glared up in hot hatred.

"…Fuck you…"

Throwing the spear with all her strength, it pierced the eye on the creature's forehead, and the creature seemed to disappear with a shriek of pain.

Cat sighed tiredly, pulling her wings and tail in.

"Kitty, you did it!" Mikey cheered, hugging her affectionately.

She winced slightly when the image of his terrified, pained expression flashed through her minds eye.

She hugged him back, unsure if she was going to let go.

'I can't lose them…'

Helping Angel's brother, they got back up to the ground floor and went up to the study, where Angel was waiting.

The siblings embraced, and Mikey stepped forward, looking around.

"Hey, where's the old dude?"

"You're standing on him."

Mikey looked down, seeing the ashes and clothes his feet stood on.

"EW! Gross-Gross-Gross-GROSS!"

He even let out a girly scream as he jumped, and Cat nearly laughed.

"Let's go home. I've had enough strangeness for one day, not to mention a lifetime…"

Cat nodded, following her purple-banded brother, when the ghost of blood on her skin returned, and his death replayed in her head over and over again.

Her hand shook, and Raph took hold of it.

"Ya 'kay, Kitten?"

"I-I think I will be…"

Walking as he tugged her towards the outdoors, Cat heard Don's dying words echo in her ears.

"…_Y-You failed, Kitty…You let the monster out…" _

She felt the tears sting as they returned, but she shook them away.

'I'll never let out the monster in me…Never…'


	61. Chapter 61

Running across the rooftops, Cat pulled the night-vision goggles up as they landed on a rooftop overlooking their destination

Running across the rooftops, Cat pulled the night-vision goggles up as they landed on a rooftop overlooking their destination.

"Here it is. Just like I told ya. Another one 'a the Shredder's alien tech garbage-picking goon squads." Raph stated.

"I wonder what he's collecting all this stuff for…" Don mused.

"Intergalactic yard sale?"

SMACK!!

"OW!!"

"Be serious, Mikey." Cat scolded.

"No police security this time around…" Leo noted, using his night-vision goggles.

"Must be something really important down there if the Shredder doesn't want the authorities knowing about it…"

Don's Shell Cell rang.

"Hello?"

The ringing made Cat flinch slightly.

"Not that stupid fax call again!" Raph complained.

"Only this time I came prepared with my palm-top to trace the signal." Don informed.

Cat covered her ears, crouching down.

'She hasn't spoken since the incident…' Raph thought worriedly.

'At least…she hasn't spoken much…when she comes outta 'er room…'

"Download in progress? Impossible…"

"Don, figure it out later. We've got something much bigger going on here."

Everyone pulled their night-vision goggles over their eyes, following the blue-banded turtle's gaze.

"Whoa…A Triceraton supply ship?" Don muttered.

"Let's take a closer look." Leo ordered.

They jumped down, sneaking around the now-dormant construction machines.

"Hey, no Foot goons!" Mikey noted.

"Where did they all go?" Don questioned.

"I don't like it…keep your eyes open." Leo stated.

"Ya think they're in the ship?" Raph questioned as they neared it.

"Only one way to find out…"

Walking inside, Don gave them flashlights, and Cat looked around, her beam of light hitting walls and broken screens.

"Nothing in here of any value to the Shredder…" Don informed.

The door shut behind them, and Cat's skin rippled to scales as Don ran to the metal barrier.

Banging on it, Raph and Leo joined him.

Mikey hid behind Cat slightly, something he'd gotten a habit for when he was scared or jittery.

"Nothing but us turtles…"

Cat ground her teeth, clenching her fist rhythmically.

'He'll go down if he tries to hurt them…I can promise him that.'

Cat moved forward, ready to force the door open, when some of the lights snapped on.

Pulling her goggles so they hung around her neck, Cat turned, battle-ready.

Karai stepped out of the shadows, and Cat felt her fangs grow in, and bore them as a silent threat.

"Karai?" Leo questioned in disbelief.

"We need to talk."

Raph drew his weapons.

"Take ta the sai's, 'cause the ears ain't listenin'!"

"Raph, wait! Let's hear her out! She helped us last time, remember?" Leo stated.

"And she nearly killed you the time before that, remember?" Mikey added.

"I apologize for the elaborate set-up, but I knew of no other way to contact you. I need your help."

Everyone shared a glance before the brother's turned their eyes to Cat.

If there was anyone they could trust to tell them that Karai was being truthful, it was the white-banded hybrid turtle-dragon.

She nodded slightly.

'I'll trust her…until she gives me another reason not to…'

Karai explained what the Shredder was going to do.

"And so, if they remove the anti-grav generator, they will be sending millions to their doom! I need you to prevent this from happening."

"So…does this mean you've come to your senses and finally turned your back on the Shredder?" Leo questioned.

Karai felt a stern gaze on her, and saw the violet eyes watching her, as if suspecting her to say 'no'.

"I am duty-bound to serve the Shredder, as always. I just…do not wish to see millions suffer."

"Even if we agree to help you, what's to stop the Shredder from coming back for anti-grav generator next time? It's not like we can shut it down."

"Actually, I might be able to provide some assistance regarding that particular technical conundrum."

The voice made Cat perk, and her under-used voice box nearly made her shout with hidden joy.

"Whoa! I must be hearing things! That sounded like Professor Honeycutt!" Mikey stated.

Don pulled out his handheld computer, and Honeycutt's head appeared on the screen.

"Hello."

"It IS Professor Honeycutt!" Don stated in surprised amazement.

Everyone gathered around.

"Professor, yer alive? No way!"

"It can't be! We saw you sacrifice yourself!"

Leo took the small electronic.

"You saved the world."

"Oh dear. I'm afraid I don't remember any of that. The last thing I recall, I was on a rooftop with Donatello, broadcasting a signal to hide myself from the Triceraton's. What I didn't tell you was that I also uploaded a backup of my memory core into the satellite communications network. I tried to contact you on the moment of my destruction, which I'm assuming must have happened."

"So YOU were the one making the calls to my Shell Cell! And the download? That was YOU downloading your memory core onto my palm-top!" Don stated.

"Well, most of it. Your hard drive was lacking capacity, so I had to forego some…nonessential information…"

Mikey took the device, smiling.

"Who cares, professor? I'm just so happy to see you!"

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"Michelangelo!"

…

"Mikey!"

…

"The Mikester!"

…

"Wait! So I'm nonessential information?!"

Cat couldn't help a laugh, but covered her mouth with both hands.

She didn't notice the relieved smile that flashed across Raph's face.

'Cat's in there somewhere…buried under somethin' she won't talk ta me 'bout...'

"Anyway…I couldn't help overhearing your dilemma. Ms…?"

"Karai."

"With my knowledge of Triceraton technology, I should be able to gain control of the anti-grav generator and gently lower the city of Beijing back to Earth. In theory."

"Saving millions of lives in the process! That's brilliant, professor!" Leo stated, taking back the palm-top.

"So, am I to assume we have a deal?"

"…Deal. Okay, now how do we get into Beijing?"

"Leave that to me."

--

Crammed into a crate with her brothers was uncomfortable, even if she got to sit on Raph's lap.

A light knock on the side made her perk slightly, lifting her head slowly from Raph's shoulder.

"Stand by. We are approaching Beijing." Karai whispered through the wood.

"About time. I've REALLY gotta go to the little turtle's room!"

Cat inched away from her orange-banded brother…

She fidgeted slightly with the pack on her shell, feeling her shoulder blades and tail tingle.

That's when the crate started FALLING…

Cat shot up from the shock, and her wings and tail came out, shattering the box and grabbing onto the two closest brothers.

Raph and Mikey were jerked to a stop and Leo and Don grabbed onto her ankles, worried she wouldn't be able to stay air-born much longer.

Karai flew past them, and Cat glared.

"Guys, deploy the hang gliders! NOW!"

The brothers were surprised that she shouted, but obeyed.

Doing an immediate nosedive, she caught Karai and opened her wings in order to slow her decent and barely missed a rooftop.

"You okay?"

Karai looked up at the white-banded turtle.

Of all five, she had expected this one to be the last one to try and save her.

She'd heard from her master that Caterina was emotional and overprotective of family and friends, and was known to have a temper towards those who threatened it.

After all she'd done…

The turtle had still saved her…

"I'm fine. But we must land. We have much work to do."

Landing on the street with her brothers, she released Karai and folded her wings as her tail wound around her leg.

Her brothers put their hang gliders away, and Mikey turned to Karai.

"Hey! What was with the instant skydiving lesson?"

"It was an unforeseen event. But I have my suspicions as to who is responsible."

"Ya know what yer problem is, lady? Ya can't decide whether ya want ta help us or kill us! Make up yer mind already!" Raph stated, drawing his sai.

"Raph." Cat stated sharply, making him pause.

"This is no time for fighting. We're miles off target. We need to get to Teaeniman Square."

"Hey, guys!"

They turned to Don, who threw his pack into the back of a wooden 'chariot' connected to a bike.

"How about this? Low tech, but effective."

"Hop on, Karai."

Leo looked around.

"Karai?"

Cat shook her head.

"Just get in. I'll have us there in no time."

"…Do we have seatbelts in there?"

"…Just get in, Mikey…"

Swinging a leg over the bike section, she waited for her brothers to settle before pedaling as fast as she could.

They flew through the streets, and the surprised shouts from the four turtles in the back made her smile ever so slightly.

"Anti-grav generator, dead ahead!" She stated over the wind.

"Ready to work your magic, professor?" Don questioned.

Stopping the bike with a screech before the building, and Cat jumped off, spreading her wings comfortably.

Large Mousers came at them, snapping their jaws.

Cat snarled, tail swaying, the blades catching the light.

"You guys go ahead…I'll take care of these guys…"

"But, Kitten…"

"I'm not letting some over-grown Mousers chew on my brothers. Now GO!"

"We're not leaving you alone!" Leo stated stubbornly, and the four drew their weapons.

Jumping into fight, Cat's sensitive ears caught a new voice.

"Commencing shut-down sequence."

Spreading her wings, she flew up and landed on the railing behind him in a crouch.

"Hey! You must be the new guy."

He turned in surprise.

"Wh-What are you?"

"Turtle…bit of dragon…Not really sure. But you're the one under the beam."

Her tail swung threateningly, and her smile was feral.

"You're too late, turtle-dragon!"

The building sparked, and a shockwave of electricity traveled down.

Cat felt it surge through her veins, but it only lasted a moment.

'Thank kami…I didn't want to blow this place up…'

"That's not supposed to happen!"

Cat clutched the railing as Beijing began to fall, and Cat looked down to see Don.

"Hurry up! We don't have long!"

Everyone was lifted off the ground like there was no force holding them down, and Cat flew down to grab Don and pull him up to where him and the professor needed to be.

The strange blimp anchored to the top of the structure, swayed, and flew away without the 'new kid'.

'…Looks like some people don't like each other in the Foot…'

Cat moved back as Don pulled out the palm-top.

Rising uncomfortably, she flapped in order to stay DOWN.

Eventually, everything started to slow down and the others touched the ground.

Wind started blowing through as the shield went down, and Cat went head-over-heels into the air.

Karai jumped in to help the others before Cat smacked into a couple Mousers, knocking them to the ground with sparks.

"…Ow…Flying turtle-dragon falling out of the sky…brace for impact…"

A Mouser actually climbed up to Don, Cat flew up and ripped it off the wall, throwing it back down.

It landed with sparks on another, and turned to her brother.

"Don't worry, bro. I've got your shell covered."

The Mousers were tough, and throwing the others around like rag dolls.

Cat landed, doing some hand signs.

'I hope this works…'

"Thunder Wave jutsu!"

A sonic boom seemed to escaped her palms, and smacked into the Mousers, sending them flying.

An electric spark escaped the tower, shorting out the robots and itself as Beijing finally connected with the Earth and settled.

"Is everybody okay?" Cat asked worriedly, looking around.

"We're fine…" Mikey assured.

"If ya call bruised 'fine', then yeah…"

"…It is over…" Karai stated, walking away.

"It's not over until you walk away from the Shredder, Karai." Leo retorted.

"…You know I can not do that…"

Leo ran up, turning her around.

"This is the perfect opportunity! They think you're dead. You can disappear. We can help you start a new life."

"…Could you so easily turn your back on your father?"

Cat growled slightly, eyes narrowing.

"Even if you knew the things he did were wrong?"

Cat stayed silent, but made a decision in her head.

'…I would…I have to follow my own heart…he taught me that…'

"What are ya lookin' at?" Raph asked their purple-banded brother.

"…Isn't the Forbidden City supposed to be north of here?"

"And isn't the Sun supposed to rise in the east?"

"…Oh dear…did I set the city down facing the wrong direction?" Honeycutt asked, sounding embarrassed.

Cat smiled slightly.

'Only my little group of friends…'

She looked at the group, her smile widening.

'But I wouldn't change them for the world…'


	62. Chapter 62

"It's really quite simple to understand

"It's really quite simple to understand. The longitudinal span of the other eight planets, the Moon, and the Sun culminate in a geometric center of fourteen degrees to form a grand planetary alignment with Earth. Say this grapefruit is the sun, right? And the Earth is the third donut from the…Hey! What happened to Earth?"

Everyone looked up at the orange-banded turtle as he munched on something that looked suspiciously like a donut.

"…What?" He asked, mouth full.

"Shell fer brains…" Raph muttered.

Cat sighed.

"Donnie, maybe you should stop using food to teach us…"

"I think so, too…"

"But, Don…none of this should have an effect on the Earth, right?" Leo questioned.

"Yeah. Astronomically speaking, the planets are just too far apart to exhibit any gravitational pull."

The ground quaked.

"That was just a random earthquake, right?" Mikey asked worriedly.

The ground shook a second time, sending the five turtles onto their shells.

"No, Mikey…I don't think it is…" Cat muttered.

Leo found the remote when he fell, and stood.

"Maybe there's something on the news about it…"

He turned on the TV, and Cat sat up, grumbling silently as she rubbed her head.

Apparently, the quake was a 7.8 on the Richter Scale, and had started north of New York in the Atlantic.

It also said that they might be witnessing the birth of a new island or a sub-continent, but the large water displacement had dangerously raised the sea levels.

It even caused violent thunderstorms that were supposed to reached them within the hour.

"It…doesn't make any sense…" Don muttered.

"There must be something else at work here…"

The earth shook.

"I TOLD you we should've listened to the guy wearing the 'The End Is Near' sign!" Mikey stated.

"Including power outages-."

Everything shut off, including the TV, and it cut off the news reporter.

"No way!"

"Aw…Great!"

"Do you think the whole city is out?"

Cat groaned, the complaints ringing in her ears.

A glowing caught her attention, and she tilted her head in a curious manner as she looked at where the source was.

"Hey, guys. Check it out."

Don went up into his workspace and found a glowing crystal on his desk. Cat jumped up and joined him as the others walked up.

"Didn't you guys say that crystal burned out?" Cat questioned.

"It did…" Don muttered.

"It seems to be super-charged…"

"How?" Raph questioned.

"I don't know…It might have something to do with alignment…"

Munching reached their ears, and four pairs of eyes turned to Mikey.

"What? It's Pluto! Who cares about Pluto?"

"…Or it might have something to do with the Crystal Moon in the Underground City…" Don finished.

The ground shook again.

"We'd better check it out." Leo and Don stated as one.

They were soon in the Tunneler.

"Remember, Donnie, you promised I could drive!" Mikey stated.

"Alright…just try not to grind the gears…"

As they started driving, Cat heard the annoying, unmistakable sound of gears grinding.

"MIKEY!"

"…Sorry."

The Tunneler began moving again.

"Okay, I suggest everyone strap in. We dug out these tunnels already, remember?" Don stated.

Cat pulled her buckle on as tight as she could.

'With Mikey at the wheel, I don't know WHAT will happen…'

They started down a downward-angled tunnel, and it felt like a rollercoaster.

They went over a ledge and took a sharp turn, heading down another tunnel.

They flew over a familiar broken bridge, and Cat closed her eyes as the Tunneler did another turn.

"Hit the brakes! HIT THE BRAKES!" Don shouted.

Then they flew through the air and landed in lava…

Lucky for Mikey, they resurfaced, and he drove them to shore.

Cat glared at her orange-banded brother.

"…I'm never letting you drive ANYTHING ever again!"

"Awww…"

They all stepped out of the Tunneler, and her ears rang with all the activity.

"This place sure is…lively…"

"This sure isn't the way we left it…" Raph stated.

"Yeah! This joints jumping!" Mikey added.

"It's as if the whole city has somehow come back to life…do you hear that?"

Cat's sensitive hearing caught the sound in the air.

"Some kind of chanting?" She guessed.

They started walking through the cities streets, looking around.

"Ya think there's a connection between what's happenin' down 'ere and what's goin' on up top?"

"We'll have to find out, Raph." Cat replied.

Looking around, Cat kept a hand on the wall they were passing by.

"It's like they don't even see us." Raph stated as another person drove by them.

"They see us…they just don't care…" Cat replied, glaring after the being.

'Jerk…'

Four strange shapes appeared out of the wall and ground, surrounding them.

"Well, it looks like somebody cares!" Mikey stated.

"What ARE these things?" Don questioned as the four lava creatures circled them.

Cat pulled out her wings and tail, spreading them wide as protective scales rippled over her skin.

The silvery-green scales seemed mainly bullet-proof, so why not fire-proof?

"I don't know, but from the looks of them, they don't look like the welcome wagon!" Mikey replied to his purple-banded brother's question.

"Any suggestions?" Cat questioned, crouching low.

"Yeah! Let's kick the magma outta 'em!" Raph stated.

They all dodged the creature's grabs, and Cat flipped to her feet in a moment.

Her tail flashed, cutting off a creature's arm, but it re-grew the appendage before grabbing her tail.

She was flung at a wall, making a crater, and stood with a pained grunt.

Her wings spread as she grew in her claws and fangs, and she ran in again, almost too fast to see.

Raph threw his sai at another, and his sai were melted.

"Hey, that thing slimed my blade!"

Raph seemed ready to run in and fight with his bare fists, but Cat grabbed his arm.

"Wait!"

"Guys, we're not winning this one!" Leo added.

"So let's try a new plan! One I like to call RUNNING FOR OUR LIVES!"

"For once, I agree with you, Mikey!" Cat stated as they all started to run.

They turned a corner to a dead end, and the lava creatures traveled through the stone.

"Now what?" Raph asked testily.

"Uh, more running!"

They turned and ran again, and a ball of lava nearly hit them as Cat folded her wings for speed.

Skidding to a halt, they saw a group of the people blocking the road.

"Since when did we become so popular?" Cat asked as they ran down a side-road.

The group ran after them, and Cat grabbed Mikey's arm as he began to lag behind.

Reaching another dead-end, the lava creatures came in, boxing them in.

Cat spread her wings, hovering slightly.

'Maybe I could fly them over that wall…'

The ground broke open beneath the boys.

"GUYS!"

A net hissed through the air, lashing her limbs to her body awkwardly before she fell through the hole and landed on her left shoulder.

Cursing as she struggled, she tried to free her cramping wings and bent tail.

"Cat!"

Katana cut through the ropes easily, and the white-banded turtle sat up, shaking off the rope.

Seeing the door, Cat jumped for the exit when electricity made bars, shocking her to near overload.

Moving away, she breathed hard as she expelled electricity through her palms.

"Not good! Not good at all!" Mikey complained.

"And this is why I have to ask…Why do we keep coming back down here?!"

"I have asked myself that very same question…" A familiar voice stated from the other side of the electric bars, and a familiar figure moved into the light.

"Aw…Not this guy again!" Mikey whined.

"You should not have returned."

"That's EXACTLY what I told them! But would they listen? NO…"

"We wouldn't have come back down here, but whatever is powering the crystals is wreaking havoc on OUR world." Don explained.

"I don't know what yer up ta, buddy, but ya better knock it off fer-!"

Crystals grabbed the red-banded turtle and held him against the electric bars, shocking him.

"RAPH!!"

Cat shot a ball of lightning at the man, who flew back and released Raph.

"Pathetic creatures, this is far beyond your control…"

Cat knelt by Raph's side, worried.

"After ten thousand years, a new day is dawning for my people. The Ilintians shall rule once more."

"Your people? You told us you were the sole survivor of your kind, that you were peace-loving. Why all the lies?" Leo questioned.

Cat growled deeply, eyes flashing red at the man.

"At the time, I had limited power. I needed your help to maintain my city, so I said what I had to."

"I don't understand…what is it you Ilintians are trying to do?" Don asked.

"Reshape the world."

Cat perked, scales bristling and shining like needles.

"To the way it used to be…"

"We won't let you!" Cat growled, standing.

"It is already happening. There is nothing you can do. You shall be the first slaves of the new world order."

"Slaves?! Why I oughtta-!!"

Leo put a hand on her shoulder, still supporting Raph.

"…Fine…no maiming…"

Her eyes narrowed.

"…Yet…"

The door closed, and she turned to the back of the cell.

"…We'll have to bust our way out…"

Raph used a spiked piece of rock to try and go through a wall with Cat as Leo, Don, and Mikey tried to reach the newly-closed exit above.

They all heard something start crumbling, and the four brothers turned to Cat.

She put her hands up in a defensive pose.

"It wasn't me!"

The back wall kinda…exploded…and an Ilintian woman stood there, holding the crystal that hung around her neck.

"Come with me if you want to live."

She started walking away.

"I want to live! How about you guys? You wanna live?"

"Anythin's better than bein' locked up in 'ere."

"Alright, let's go!" Leo ordered.

They ran after the woman.

"But be ready for anything!"

Following the woman through the halls, Cat looked at her curiously.

"Who are you? And why are you helping us?"

"Yeah…Aren't ya one 'a 'em?" Raph added.

"All will be revealed. Follow me."

As they walked, she began to talk.

"I am an Ilintian, but I am NOT like the others."

They stopped outside a door, and she opened it with a crystal.

"We must stop them."

"Stop them? We don't even know how they're doing what they're doing!" Leo retorted.

They stepped into the technological room, heading for a strange glass-encased crystal.

"Then you will learn. Here, in the Chamber of Chronicles, you will see the truth of the past."

"I don't know…the last movie we saw down here was a pack of lies…" Mikey stated.

The woman started up the crystal.

"Please, attend."

An image appeared on the glass, like a strange movie.

"We were of a different age, in a time long ago when Ilintians held unassailable dominion over the Earth. We were the first, the chosen. The heavens bestowed upon us power beyond imagining in the form of mighty crystals from the stars. The largest of these, the Sun Crystal, came to rest high on Mount Tamayas, over-looking the entire continent. As a final gift from the heavens, the planets aligned and powered our Sun Crystal, charging it with unbelievable energy. Crystal energy which we harnessed to build the largest, most splendid civilization on Earth. But we Ilintians had advanced so far so fast we began to believe ourselves superior to all others. We enslaved many innocent humans…and when they could not do the jobs we imposed upon them, the limitless power of our crystal sun was used to mutate them into creatures better suited to fulfill our selfish needs. Water-breathers, to bring us the bounty of the sea. Monstrous beasts of burden to raise our monuments and dig our canals. And avians to patrol the skies, preventing certain Ilintians from escaping. Ilintians, like me, who detested the dark ways of our own people. And then, an uprising. The human cultures banded together and launched an attack on our home. The Ilintians were taken by surprise. The High Council gathered in the Star Chamber to take retaliatory action. And the slaves were ordered to turn the power of our crystal sun into the most devastating of weapons. But many slaves were allied with the human forces, determined to put an end to their Ilintian task-masters. The power of our crystal sun was turned upon itself, with catastrophic consequences…And the fabled island of Ilintius sank beneath the waves…"

"Wait a minute…The fabled island of ILINTIUS? You mean Ilintius is really-?"

"Atlantis!" Don interrupted his youngest brother.

"Of course! Why didn't I see it before? You guys are from the lost city of Atlantis! Unbelievable…"

"Yes. We are probably all that is left of the once great civilization."

'…I need to use the little turtle's room…nice timing, bladder…'

"A few of us managed to escape destruction, and took a fragment of the Sun Crystal. Though its power was greatly diminished, it was enough to give life to a vast underground refuge. Now named the Crystal Moon, our smaller power source ultimately began to weaken, and without slaves, the Atlantians found they were ill-equipped to survive on their own. So they chose to go into crystal suspension until the next planetary alignment could recharge the moon crystal. Only one remained awake…The high mage. It was his task to watch over the city until the Crystal Moon recharged, and now, everything has turned out as foreseen by the High Council. The alignment has come to pass, the Crystal Moon has recharged, and the High Council are using its power to raise our ancient city from the sea."

"And, with such a geologic change on such a massive scale, continents will shift, and sink! Most of the human race will be wiped out! It'll be the end of the world as we know it…" Don stated.

Cat clenched her fist, tail lashing around and cutting through the stone.

"Then we'd better stop them…"

"Maybe we can take a page from Ilintian history and sabotage the crystal power source, just like the slaves did." Leo suggested.

"Sounds like a plan! Let's do it!" Raph agreed.

'These guys are going down…We didn't save humans from Triceratons just to have them wiped out!'

The woman led them to another room.

"I can make a prism big enough to disrupt the crystal, but first we'll need to gain access to the Star Chamber. It will not be easy."

"ESPECIALLY if there are more of those lava monsters around!" Mikey added.

"This Ilintian armor will protect you from the Lava Wraiths. If you dislodge the fire crystals within their bodies using these staffs, the lava monsters will disintegrate."

Cat caught a staff, twirling it slightly.

"Good. It's time for a little payback. Those goons melted my sai!"

Cat smiled slightly.

"You'll get new ones. Don't pop a vein, Raphie-boy."

"Let's go, guys." Leo ordered.

They all dawned the protective armor, Cat forcing her wings and tail through in order to fly and attack without worrying about her blades.

The door was opened, and they headed out into the hall, stopping on either side of an entrance to a hallway.

Leo was handed a large crystal, and he turned to the four other turtles in armor.

"Alright, everybody know the plan?"

All four nodded.

"Be careful."

Leo started climbing up the wall.

"Alrighty then. Turtle Armor Force, move out!" Mikey joked as they headed down the hall.

Cat rolled her eyes.

'Why me?'

"Hey, Raph."

"What, Mikey?"

"Does my butt look big in this outfit?"

"…Mikey…"

"Raphie, I have an important question…"

"What is it, Kitten?"

"…Does MY butt look big in this outfit?"

"…I didn't think ya'd ask me that…"

"Why? I'm a girl!"

Before Raph could reply, they were surrounded by three Lava Wraiths, and Cat twirled her spear.

"Come on, guys!"

Using her chakra to sense for energy, she could almost see the Fire Crystal at the lava creatures heart.

"This is for the welcome wagon!"

Jumping up, she stabbed straight through to it, and the creature seemed to melt to cooling molten rock.

"…COOL…"

Cat heard Mikey's corny joke as he won.

"Aw…Did I break your heart?"

Raph's staff was broke in two before he defeated the last one.

"Um…Clean up on aisle twelve…"

"Shut up, Mikey!"

"Come on!" Don stated.

The four turtles started running to their destination.

Someone opened the door at the end of the hallway they were in, and Cat spread her wings as she twirled her staff.

Mikey hung down much like Spiderman.

"Roll out the welcome mat and bring out the bone china, because you've got company!"

"You DARE desecrate the Star Chamber?"

His crystal glowed, shocking the four turtles.

Cat hardly felt any pain, and just concentrated on filtering it back out through her skin and pretending to be in pain.

"Fools. You are no match for my power."

"We know. That's why we're not here to fight you…" Don forced out.

"Yeah…we're here to distract you!" Mikey finished.

"You're island-raising ritual is causing havoc across the globe! But it ends NOW!" Leo stated from above, holding the crystal in his hand.

"NO!!"

The four turtles were dropped, and Leo jumped onto the crystal in order to bash it with his own.

Light escaped it, flooding the room and causing pain to those linked to it.

"You have done it! But come! We must flee the city!" The woman stated, allowing them to get on her hover-scooter.

Cat spread her wings, grabbing Raph and taking off into the air before the crystal could explode.

The whole city seemed to crumble, and the Crystal Moon was dislodged and fell into the lava.

Without the power source, the hover-scooter lost power and began to fall.

The three turtles jumped, Leo making sure their new friend didn't fall into the lava, as Cat and Raph landed on the same ledge.

With a single heave, the white-banded turtle pulled both up, and they watched as the last of the city sunk beneath the lava.

"Close call…but we did it…" Leo stated.

"The world is safe, but…but I've lost everything I've ever known…"

She cried for a few minutes until they comforted her enough to walk.

Taking off the armor, they reached the crossroads, ready to go their separate ways.

"Where will you go?" Cat asked worriedly.

"I have heard long ago of other underground cities where Ilantians such as myself fled the dark empire. I hope to find them."

Cat smiled slightly, still unsure.

"Well, if you ever go topside, look us up."

"Farewell, my friends. Safe journey."

And she departed…

"Come on. Let's get the Tunneler and get out of here." Leo ordered.

"And Mikey, ya are NOT drivin'."

"Letting me drive is the least you can do after dragging me back down here to creepy cavern!" Mikey objected.

"Aw, suck it up, Mikey…"

"Look at the bright side. We'll never have to come back down here ever again." Cat stated.

"Yeah…that's what you said the last time…and the time before that…AND the time before that…and the time before THAT-."

SMACK!!

"OW!!"

"And you're still not driving." Cat stated as she walked ahead of them, tail and wings once again hidden.

'I don't want to die so young…'


	63. Chapter 63

"AHHH

"AHHH!! Leo, that's COLD!!" Cat whined, dripping wet as Leo tried to hit her with the hose-water again.

"Don't act like a wet cat!"

"You don't WANT me to!"

"Time for your bath, Mikey!"

The stream of water hit the orange-banded turtle's shell.

"Hey, no fair! I took a bath last week!"

Cat threw a rock, making Leo trip in the water around his feet.

He looked up.

"…Uh oh…"

The four turtles looked at him, each holding a water balloon.

"It's time for YOUR bath now, Leo." Don joked.

Cat looked up when a strange portal opened above them.

"Uh…guys…"

A girl fell, and Cat jumped back so she only knocked over Raph, Mikey and Don.

"…Ow…THAT looked like it hurt…"

"Ow…that wasn't any fun…" The girl groaned.

"Like, it really hurt my heinie…"

Cat giggled when the girl sat up, pushing Raph's head down as she rubbed her poor behind.

"Well EXCUSE the shell outta me, but my skull's not havin' a picnic, either!"

The girl jumped off.

"I am so totally sorry! Are you guys okay?"

"…Let me guess, you're not from around here, are you?" Mikey asked as Raph cracked his neck.

"Well, duh! I'm from the seventy-ninth dimension of null-time. OBVIOUSLY…"

They all looked at each other, and Cat sighed.

"…Not really…"

"And your name is…?" Leo questioned.

"Oh, right! I'm REALLY bad at introductions. Hi, I'm Renet, apprentice timestress. And this is the Time Scepter. It brought me here."

…

"Um…so why did you pop out of wherever and land on us?" Mikey questioned.

"I was bored, and you guys were in the Orb of Hindsight and it looked like you were having fun."

"…'Orb of Hindsight'?" Cat questioned.

"Totally! It shows times when egs happen!"

"Eggs?" Mikey asked, confused.

"Like omelets?" Leo questioned.

"No, silly! E-G-S. Events of Great Significance. Sometimes it's a real bummer 'cause people are about to be horribly destroyed and stuff, but you guys seem okay."

"Horribly destroyed and stuff?" Don questioned, NOW feeling worried.

"Is it just me, or are you guys getting a feeling of impending doom?" Cat questioned, feeling a pressure under her shell as her spine tingled.

"RENET!!"

Cat jumped, whirling around as a bright light made her senses go on overload.

A floating head appeared in the light.

"RENET!!"

"Oh brother!! It's him!! He's found me!!" Renet stated.

"You've gotta help me!! You've gotta help me!!"

"RETURN WHAT YOU HAVE STOLEN!!" The head's voice boomed, and Cat flinched, her ears ringing powerfully.

Cat crouched down defensively on instinct.

"It's Lord Simultaneous!! He's gonna kill me!!"

"Not on our watch!" Raph replied.

"You stay behind us! We'll take care of Chrome Dome here!" Mikey added.

"Insolent rat!! Prepare for a punishment far worse than any you have ever experienced!!" The head boomed.

"Experience THIS!" Raph challenged, throwing his sai.

A beam of light left the heads eyes, and they hit the sai, sending them back at the red-banded turtle.

He caught them deftly, but was still surprised.

"OKAY…THAT didn't work…"

"We gotta bail! Scepter, get us out of here NOW!" Renet begged, looking at the scepter.

"Destination?" It asked in a robotic voice.

"Anyplace! Just go! GO!"

They disappeared in a bright light, and they all fell to the ground of a desolate wasteland, a castle in the distance.

Poor Cat was at the bottom of the pile, and she used her strength to push everybody else off.

"My lungs…they're crushed…" She panted out, lying on her shell.

"You know, Renet, for a timestress or whatever, you REALLY need to work on your control…" Mikey complained.

"Where the shell are we?" Raph questioned.

Cat looked around, completely agreeing with him.

"I think the question is 'When the shell are we'." Don stated.

"Let me check!"

Renet started looking at some things on her arms.

"Here! In the 1406."

"…1406? …Aw shell…" Cat smacked her forehead.

"Lord, do you torture me because I'm a turtle? I don't want to remind you that YOU made me a turtle…"

"I think we're somewhere in medieval Europe or someplace…"

"And we're here BECAUSE…?" Leo questioned.

"I have no idea…It felt like…like…something reached out and brought us here…"

"…That doesn't seem good…" Cat muttered.

A strange pink circle came around them, disappearing into the ground as if it was sucked up like water.

The ground shook, and body parts started smashing through the surface of the ground.

"…Uh oh…" Cat mumbled, pulling out her blades.

The strange undead warriors had a strange Viking look about them, and Cat heard an echoey voice.

"Get me the Time Scepter. Let nothing stand in your way!" The voice ordered.

Twirling her blades, she moved in front of Renet.

"Looks like we'll have a nasty fight on our hands, guys…"

"Do something, you stupid thing!" Renet yelled at the Time Scepter.

It glowed, and, when the light died, the turtles had medieval armor on, like a knights.

"Hey, an extra shell! I like it!" Mikey stated.

"The scepter!"

"Feast on their flesh!"

"Attack!"

The undead warriors charged.

Cat growled, growing her wings and tail.

"Just try it, big guy!"

Spreading her wings, she flew into the air, smacking a couple away with a practiced swing of her tail.

Diving down, she used her claws to get a good grip and tackled a couple more.

The warriors were pulled into the ground, and Cat had to fly back up before she was pulled in.

"Guys, if you put them down hard enough, they stay down!" Cat yelled over the noise of battle.

"Yeah! They're worm food!" Raph added.

Mikey kicked one down, and it was sucked in.

"Can I just say…EWWWWWWW…"

"I agree, bro…" Cat stated, dodging an ax.

"Hey! I might be part dragon, but that's no reason to try and slay me!"

Flying up and whipping around to hit five more away, she saw the numbers had dwindled to nearly zero.

They ganged up on Leo, and Cat swooped down.

"Aniki, get down!"

Leo ducked, and Cat's tail smacked the ones holding the turtle away as Don hit the one ready to hit him.

Flying back up, she smirked.

"Ha! Take THAT!"

She heard Renet scream, and saw a dragon, a strange demonic rider on his back, swoop down to grab her.

"RENET!!"

Flying as fast as she could, she intercepted, a snarl in her throat as she claws and fangs grow in sharp.

The dragon head butted her in the gut, knocking the wind out of her.

She fell under him as Renet was grabbed, but the white-banded girl grabbed the dragon's tail as tight as she could.

Something seemed to paralyze her, however, but the rider caught her before she fell away and crashed into the ground.

"A dragon hybrid? This could come in handy…"

He then ripped the Time Scepter from Renet's hands, and Cat struggled weakly, electricity escaping her skin.

"Finally! The Time Scepter is mine!"

The dragon roared, and Cat heard her brothers shouts from the ground.

"KITTEN!!"

The dragon growled, turning around and heading for the four turtles.

'No!'

It swooped down, and the four jumped out of the way as the dragon flew back up again.

The dragon began bucking, but the rider steered him towards the castle by the chain around its neck.

Cat had metal chains wrapping around her wrists and forearms, not to mention her ankles and shins.

Her wings were strapped to her shell with chains that wound around her chest and stomach, and her tail was lashed to her right thigh.

"I now have control over time and space!" Cat glared.

"Yeah, and I have control over my foot going up your butt!"

She didn't waver when the dragon roared and the demonic rider turned to her.

"Don't push your luck, young one."

"What luck? I don't have any."

Renet was running her mouth a mile a minute, and Cat's eye twitched.

"…WOULD YOU STOP!?"

Renet fell silent, giving the white-banded turtle a wide-eyed look.

"…Sorry…That just irritates me…Ask Mikey…"

"I don't understand how Lord Simultaneous could put up with you, girl. But I shall soon put him out of his misery when I end his life." The demon-like being stated.

"It was your master, Lord Simultaneous, that banished me here. And now, with the Time Scepter in my hands, I will be free to move through time and space to wreak my revenge upon your master!"

'I can't let him…GOD, I'm too nice…'

The dragon roared, fighting against its chain and trying to bite her.

Cat dodged by falling on her side, and her bound feet shot out, catching it snout.

"What is wrong with you today? You're acting like I haven't fed you or something?"

"What do you feed him? Turtles?" Cat questioned, trying to scoot away.

"Settle down! I command it!"

A red electricity escaped his hand, shocking the red dragon.

"HEY!"

A rock smacked his hand, and she turned to see Cat had kicked it at him.

"You have no right to be cruel!"

His hand sparked, but the white-banded turtle didn't back down.

"Try it. Then we'll see how you can live in a pile of rubble."

There was a tense silence, and Renet's eyes snapped between the two.

The demonic creature growled before walking off, and Cat stuck her tongue out childishly.

"Stupid baka of a demon…THING…" She muttered crossly.

She felt SOMETHING was wrong, and tried to get on her feet.

"What is it?"

"Something's wrong…really wrong…I need to get out of here…"

Her heart squeezed itself, and Cat practically jumped.

'Something happened to Raph!! SOMETHING HAPPENED TO RAPH!!'

With all her strength, she snapped the chains so powerfully that the links flew through the air like bullets.

"RAPH!!"

Something smacked into her, making her hit the floor heavily on her shell.

Whatever the goop was, it connected to the floor and held her down.

She snarled, eyes flashing red.

"LET ME UP!!"

She struggled violently, electricity flying as her wings and tails lashed around in a vain attempt at escape.

When she finally settled, she heard Renet say something.

"Uh…hey, sorcerer guy? Your pet is REALLY acting all weird and stuff…"

Cat looked to see what it was.

The dragon had made itself a strange cocoon-like thing around itself, and Renet gagged.

"EW! Gross!"

"Then you've never lived through anything I've been through…" Cat muttered.

"Time and space are now mine to command!"

The door was busted off its hinges, hitting the ground.

"Someone in here call an exterminator? You've got a heck of a bug problem out there!"

"MIKEY!!"

"What?! You dare-?!"

Cat released her chakra and exploded the goop right off.

Flipping to her feet, she spread her wings and ran between him and her brothers.

He blasted her with the Time Scepter, and she put up a shield, though she was still thrown back.

Another blast hit Don's Bo, making it grow before he was smacked into a wall.

"Donnie!!"

Leo cut Renet free as the white-banded turtle pulled herself to her feet.

Mikey and Raph jumped at the demon, who seemed to disappear and make the two butt heads.

'That must hurt…Those two have pretty hard heads…'

He reappeared.

"Pathetic warriors! I have revenge to seek and a universe to conquer!"

He blasted Raph and Mikey further away.

"Not if we have anything to say about it!"

Leo's katana was blocked, and then he was disarmed, getting hit back.

He shot the ground, and a pillar of ground rose up to make Leo smack into the ceiling.

Cat jumped on his back, wings spread and tail winding around his neck.

"You don't hurt my brothers! That's MY job!"

With the slightest grunt of effort, she grabbed his shoulders and pulled him straight out from under her and threw him with all her might.

He made a crater in the wall, and the Time Scepter was released, rolling towards the cocooned dragon pet that hadn't moved the whole time.

Everyone got up, joining in a group to return their weapons to each other and make sure there were no injuries.

Cat stretched her arms over her head, her wings and tail following suit.

"Nice throw, Kitten."

"I try."

"That's a nice fast ball…" Don noted.

"Aw, that's sweet, Donnie!"

A hand came out of the strange cocoon, a red arm with scales, and it pulled it back in.

"…Uh…guys…"

The pile grew bigger, and a deep, familiar voice came from it.

"Aw…turtle siblings…how glad we are to see you again…"

It changed to another voice that was still familiar, and Cat's scales rattled like stones.

'Drako? Ultimate Ninja?'

"Uh, do we know you?" Mikey questioned.

"He knows us." Leo replied.

"Those voices sound really familiar…" Raph noted.

"Yes…listen well to our voices…"

Cat spread her wings, as if to make a wall between the five behind her and whatever was facing them.

"For it will be the last thing you will ever hear!"

It was like a strange mix between Drako and the Ultimate Ninja, only larger, and still holding the Time Scepter.

"Can't bad guys stay in their graves?" Cat growled.

"Well, if it isn't the little female. How's the serum I put into you? Working well, I see."

Fangs bared in a threat of death, she snarled.

"I thought that was the cause…"

"And what of our wager?"

She smirked, though it looked more feral than usual.

"Battle Nexus Champion, thank you. Now enough pleasantries."

She saw the others back up, and thanked kami for being nice for once.

"But you guys got sucked into that rift thingy!" Mikey stated.

"Yes. Heartlessly thrown into that rift, drifting through time and space for all eternity. You remember, don't you? How you turtles could have saved us? But you let us go. Over thousands of millennia, our bodies combined into this horrific form, our minds fusing in the endless isolation. Our hatred of you driving us, keeping us alive. Until we learned enough and freed ourselves, coming here. And how we suffered, pretending to serve this fool of a demon sorcerer! Only because he sought the Time Scepter! Only with it could we find and destroy you!"

"You guys threw yourselves in that rift! If you'd have stopped fighting each other, none of this would've happened!" Cat growled.

"So 'revenge' isn't what you should be getting all mad about! It's something called 'stupidity'! You want to know about it, ask Mikey!"

"HEY…"

"Enough 'a this noise!" Raph stated, throwing his sai.

The weapons disintegrated.

All of them did, and wood grabbed them, holding them in the air.

"Steel rusts, wood crumbles, time is a master. And as for flesh, prepare to rot!"

Renet jumped on his back, grabbing the Time Scepter.

"You icky creep!"

She was thrown off, and Cat used her wings to break herself free.

"Leave her alone!"

Light came from the scepter as Cat moved between them, snarling with murder in her eyes and wings spread like sails.

The same floating head came, glowing brightly.

Shielding her eyes with a wing, Cat heard his voice boom.

"Well, it's about time!"

"Ah! I'm sorry-I'm sorry-I'm sorry!" Renet apologized.

The demon sorcerer stood up, still seeming dazed.

Lord Simultaneous actually appeared as a short old man, and Cat quirked an eye-ridge.

"…You can't be serious…"

He deliberately took the Time Scepter from Renet.

"Give me that before you hurt yourself…or the rest of the universe…AGAIN…"

"THAT'S Lord Simultaneous?" Don questioned as the turtle brothers were released.

"Yeah, he should've quit when he was a head." Mikey agreed.

"Get it?"

SMACK!!

"OW!! RAPH…"

"You may be the Lord of Time, but you shall not interrupt our vengeance!"

'I could, if you'd prefer being dismembered and tortured to death…' Cat thought bitterly.

The enemy charged at Lord Simultaneous, who held up the Time Scepter and froze them.

"Quiet, you! You've caused me enough trouble for one eternity! As it is, I'll be cleaning up temporal spillage for a decade!"

He walked up to the demon sorcerer.

"And YOU, Savanti. You'd think that banishing you to fifteen-century Earth would be enough, but NO…Say bye-bye, Savanti. See you later."

The Time Scepter glowed, and Savanti disappeared.

"Now, what to do with you." Lord Simultaneous stated, turning back to the Drako/Ultimate Ninja hybrid.

"You can not hold us! You can not command us!"

With a snarl that would've made the very devil shiver in his skin and run, tail between his legs, Cat moved behind Lord Simultaneous, scales looking like the sharpest needles, as they seemed to break free.

"We are not without power!"

The tail moved and grabbed the scepter right out of his hands.

Cat felt her heart speed up and her stomach twist as she lurched forward a step.

"We shall return! We shall have our revenge!"

His laughter was dark as they disappeared, and her tail smacked into the floor with such force it made a crater.

"WHAT THE SHELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!? IF YOU WEREN'T THE LORD OF TIME, I'D-!!"

Raph pulled her back slightly, her wings bristling violently and tail lashing.

"I wouldn't worry about it. The Time Scepter is a funny thing. It has a mind of its own, sometimes. I'm not so sure that character knows what he's in for…"

He turned to Renet.

"As for YOU, young lady, we need to talk about YOUR punishment!"

Renet backed up.

"Please, Lord Simultaneous! I'm SORRY!"

"You must pay for your crimes! Six more weeks of dusting!"

"Ugh! You are such a tyrant!"

"Seven!"

"Ah! NO!"

"Do you wanna try for eight?"

"…No, Lord Simultaneous…"

Cat shrugged, sighing.

"Dusting can't be as bad as cleaning the dojo at home…or the bathroom…"

"Amen, sister!" Mikey agreed.

"DUSTING? This was all about DUSTING?" Don asked in disbelief.

"Now, let's set things right, shall we?" Lord Simultaneous stated, walking up to the group of turtles as Cat pulled in her wings and tail.

They were all dropped back down onto the same rooftop they'd been having their water fight on, Cat on the bottom of the pile again.

With a push, the four brothers were sprawled on their shells as she sat up.

"Um, I'm glad we're home…but why do I always have to be near the bottom?"

"At least you aren't AT the bottom…" Cat retorted, rubbing her behind.

'I never want to do THAT again…'


	64. Chapter 64

'A nice vacation away from the responsibility of family should help my frazzled nerves…'

'A nice vacation away from the responsibility of family should help my frazzled nerves…'

Cat leaned back on the porch, eyes closed as felt the warm breeze.

She was at Casey's grandmother's place on an imposed vacation from Master Splinter when he caught her all-night training for the fifth night in a row.

'I'm not obsessed…just worried…' She thought, reaching for the tea she'd made.

She sat up when her Shell Cell rang.

Grabbing it and flipping it open, she was surprised to hear Hun's voice.

'WHAT THE SHELL!?'

But it seemed he was on a separate frequency, and her own had intercepted on accident.

'If I got it…So did the others…'

Standing up in a moment, she went into the barn and straddled her Shell Cycle.

'If Hun's involved, I'm going to be there for my brothers…'

Revving the engine as she pulled on her helmet and turned on the com-link, she pressed a button on the side.

After some begging, Don had installed a tracking system into her helmet and a tracer, and she used it now.

Practically flying out of the barn, she started flying down the dirt road.

It was a good thing it was a chilly night, or she wouldn't have worn her biker jacket.

'You don't try to destroy MY family and get away with bruises…Not after what I saw…'

Speeding so fast, she tried to keep focused so she didn't crash.

'Warehouse 51…Isn't that abandoned? What would be so important it would be in an abandoned warehouse?'

As she sped home, dodging cars and other motorcycles, another thought hit her.

'It could be a trap…We have no shortage of enemies that could change voices…'

She sped the Shell Cycle to dangerous speeds.

'Trap…it's a trap…my stupid, loveable brothers are probably heading into a trap right now…'

She could almost sense an explosion, feel it shake her heart and her mind and make her feel sick.

'Oh kami, what happened to them?'

She wished the Shell Cycle could go faster…

'I could go faster than this thing!!' She thought, worry and temper mixing in her and making her snappish, even to inanimate objects.

Dust flew behind her as she sped toward the ever-brightening lights of New York.

'I'll give sensei a piece of my mind once I see him! Sending me away like that! What if my Shell Cell hadn't caught the signal? My brothers could DIE!'

Her heart jumped.

'They could be DYING right now…'

She leaned forward, urging the bike forward as pressure built under her shell.

'Damn a sister's worries…I feel like I'm their mother!'

She always felt connected to her brothers ever since she started controlling her chakra better.

At times, when she really focused, she could almost feel their emotions as if they were her own.

She felt them all, as if they were with her, and concentrated her chakra.

'They're not at the warehouse…' She thought, scanning the city for their particular life forces.

'They're somewhere else…'

Her eyes narrowed as she sensed another presence there.

'Hun and Bishop…'

She was entering New York City limits, and went through back alleys and streets before stopping in front of a building.

'The Battle Shell…'

She looked at a flaming pile.

'And Raph's Shell Cycle…'

Getting off her own, she hid it in the Battle Shell.

'What happened here?'

Running inside, she saw a battlefield and broken doors.

'Oh lord, PLEASE be okay…'

Running, she saw the tail-end of a subway-like car disappear around a corner.

'Damn!'

Running and jumping, she jumped onto the back without a sound and looked inside.

'Why is Hun fighting Bishop?'

She heard cries of alarm from on top of the car, and looked up before returning her attention to the fight.

Seeing Bishop get knocked around brought a smirk to her face, and she couldn't tell if she was happy or disappointed to see Hun get his butt kicked in return.

'I'll only get involved when my brothers do.' She thought decidedly.

Karai flinched, getting her shoulder hurt on whatever was around her.

Cat felt her shoulders tense.

'…Well…She DID save my brothers…and I didn't save her life so she could go down like this…'

Cat raised her fist, electricity dancing across her knuckles.

'She better appreciate this…'

Her brothers jumped in, and she nearly laughed when Raph flipped Hun over.

"And ya owe me a new bike, fatso!"

As her brothers fought and were evaded, Cat judged when the best time to enter would be.

The opportunity presented itself when Karai was freed and Bishop got a hold of her.

Punching the door down was easy enough, and she walked inside like she had every right to be there at that moment.

"Nice ride. But I believe there'll be a nice fight here instead."

She cracked her knuckles threateningly.

"It might not be so bad if you release her right now…"

The next attacks were blurs of activity, but Cat was sure Karai was free when she managed to tackle Bishop, pinning him firmly to the ground.

"You've been messing with my family and our business long enough." She growled.

"As over-protective as ever, I see…"

"Go to hell!"

Using leverage, he knocked her off, but Cat immediately regained her balance, blades drawn and a growl in her throat.

"I was hoping to dispatch of them before you arrived…You're an actual challenge…"

"I wouldn't think the same of you, Bishop, or that would be a compliment."

She twirled her blades.

"I find challenges in honor, not power."

He moved back, and she widened her legs in a crouch, feeling ready to spring.

He got a briefcase, and she threw a blade.

He dodged, though the blade imbedded itself into the metal of the car.

"I should actually thank you and your brothers. The samples I got from you all last time have sped up my research fifty years overnight."

"And that's all you're getting!" She snarled, ready to pounce.

"Goodbye."

The section of the car he was on sped away, and Cat ripped her blade out of the metal with an angry swipe as her brothers joined her.

"Kitty?"

"He's going down the next time I see him…No one steals anything from my family and gets away with it…"

Turning, she turned untrusting eyes to Hun and slightly reassured eyes to Karai.

"Now that Karai is safe, I can finish you all off as a bonus for the Shredder!"

Cat tensed, eyes flashing red.

'Not a wise move, big guy…'

Hun stepped towards them threateningly, and Karai kicked him right out the doorway.

"Thank you."

Cat nodded, and the other kunoichi jumped out as well.

"Hey, weren't you on vacation?" Leo asked accusingly.

"Got the same message you guys did on my Shell Cell. I wasn't about to let you guys go in on your own." Cat defended.

They all jumped out once the car stopped.

"I thought ya wanted a few days 'a rest away from us…" Raph stated, looking a bit sullen.

"Sensei thought it would be best. I've pulled some all-nighters in training, and he thought it was stress. I objected, but he insisted I take a vacation."

Raph seemed to remember his beloved Shell Cycle once he was reassured.

"I can't BELIEVE I lost my bike!"

"Look at the bright side, Raph. You may have lost the Shell Cycle, but Donnie here got a shiny new train car." Mikey reasoned.

"Can I keep it, Leo?" Don asked hopefully.

"If you can figure out a way to get it back home…"

Cat smiled.

"I'll help! I always wanted a shiny new train car!"


	65. Chapter 65

Cat was on the couch drinking tea as she read a comic of Supergirl, and ignored Mikey as he began to talk

Cat was on the couch drinking tea as she read a comic of Supergirl, and ignored Mikey as he began to talk.

'Whatever it is will give me a headache, anyway…' She concluded, putting a gentle hand on Yuki, who was curled up on her lap.

"You two may join him, since it seems you have too much free time of your hands…"

Cat looked up.

"I thought you wanted me to relax and train LESS…"

She jumped as the ground quaked, and held Yuki close as the kitten jumped to her chest in a quest for safety.

The water pool in the center of the lair began to act strangely, and made a strange portal.

"Master Splinter, what's going on?" Leo asked.

"We've seen that type of portal before!" Don stated.

'Of course…With Renet…'

Cat's heart tightened as she got to her feet, one blade drawn as the other arm held Yuki close.

She crouched low as the Drako/Ultimate Ninja hybrid came out through it, holding the Time Scepter.

"We told you we would return. We told you we would have our revenge!"

Cat felt a growl in her throat as silvery-green scales rippled over her skin.

"Revenge THIS, whackbag!" Raph yelled, jumping at him, sai drawn.

He was blasted, frozen in midair, and was thrown aside.

Cat jumped, catching him and having her own shell smack into a wall.

"As if you could simply fight us!"

Cat shook her head free of pain, and was reassured by Yuki's soft meow.

"You okay, love?"

"I've been better…"

"We control time and space with Lord Simultaneous' Time Scepter. We are unbeatable!"

Cat stood up, helping up the red-banded turtle.

"I say we beat the crap out of them…"

"I agree with ya on that one, Kitten…"

"Someone, quick! Grab the-!"

Everyone was stopped, and Don's sentence was cut off.

"Now we will have our vengeance!"

Cat tried to struggle, to break free.

"Leonardo. Caterina. Destroy THEM first." The Ultimate Ninja stated.

"No! We agreed! The rat first! Then the Daimyo, your father! They will all pay! All of them!"

The Time Scepter began to glow.

"Yes, they will learn the new meaning to the word 'suffering'! Beyond time and space!"

The light smacked into her, and Cat fell to the ground with a thump.

"OW! Hey, where's Yuki?"

Standing up, she rubbed her head before looking around.

"…Um…?"

The lair seemed so…different…

It wasn't as dirty, and she didn't see any weights thrown around.

'It's like nobody lives here…'

Exiting into the sewers, she saw the claw marks and scorch marks riddling the sewer walls.

'What happened?'

Going to the surface only showed that her worry was justified.

Everything was dark, and the buildings were crumbling.

The ones that weren't bore Foot Clan symbols.

'…Uh oh…'

The sound of a helicopter put her on edge, and she hid in the shadow of some debris.

When its rumble died, she felt a life force near her.

"So, look who the cat dragged in, 'Kitty'…"

Looking up, she looked around.

'I know that voice…'

"Mikey?"

The shadow near the wall stopped, as if surprised.

"…You haven't called me that in years…"

Cat stood up, the light hitting her slightly.

"What are you talking about, bro? I've always called you Mikey."

"…You're not her…"

"I'm not who?" She questioned, stepping closer.

She saw his silhouette, and stopped.

"…Oh my God…"

Just like in her nightmare…

His arm was missing…

In all the nightmares that had plagued her late into the night and caused her all-night training sessions to become more frequent, she'd never thought anything would be worse than seeing her youngest, most innocent brother missing that same limb that was now a stub before her…

"You…You're supposed to be evil…"

She froze.

"Wh-What?"

"…But you don't look the same…don't act the same…you're not even old enough…"

"I-I don't think I'm from here, Mikey…please understand…I don't know what's going on…"

He stepped into the light, and she saw the scars and bits of armor on him, as well as his single 'chuck.

"Well, I never thought I'd see the old you again…"

"The old me?"

"…Come on…let's talk in private…"

He led her into an abandoned warehouse.

"Hey, Don. Look who finally came back."

This older Don also had some scars, some robotics attached to his plastron, as well as an eye-piece that reminded Cat of something Vegeta used to where in DragonBall Z.

The tattered lab coat reminded her of something Leatherhead used to wear, too.

"…Cat?"

He looked at her in surprise, and he walked up slowly.

"…What happened to you?"

She tilted her head in confusion.

"I was at the lair trying to relax when that Drako/Ultimate Ninja mix thing came with Lord Simultaneous' Time Scepter. I don't think I'm from HERE exactly…"

With a shaky hand, he put it on her head.

"…I missed you, Cat…"

"What happened, bro?"

Don sighed, and led her to a tattered, worn couch.

"I remember it well…It was fifteen years ago…You were going through this weird phase of depression, all-night training and all that…You were even snapping at everybody…We thought it was nothing, that you were just stressed or something…Then you just…snapped…"

Cat dug her nails into her palm to keep from saying something.

"You transformed into a mix between a turtle, a dragon, and your eyes stayed red no matter what any of us did…even Raph…It was like the darkness and the dragon took over…and you weren't there anymore…"

Cat bit her lip, closing her eyes as tight as she could manage.

'I-I couldn't…'

"I'm just glad to see the old you…" Don stated, pulling her into a hug.

"…Wh-What happened to Leo and Raph?"

"They fought about what had happened…They don't really talk to anyone anymore…"

"And the Shredder?"

"…He took over the world…He got a new little helper…"

"…April…Casey…Angel…Sensei?"

"They…"

Don sighed.

"They never made it, Kitty…"

Cat pulled back, eyes hard and determined.

"…Then its time to get back at him…Can you contact Leo and Raph?"

"I can try…but it might not work-."

"It will. Trust me."

Cat sat on a rafter above them, deep in thought, waiting for her other two brothers to join them.

When they did, her heart felt like it was going to start bleeding.

Raph was riddled with scars as well, and he seemed to be missing his left eye as well, while Leo's scars were more pronounced around his plastron, arms, shoulders and head, and his shades seemed to cover unseeing eyes.

It wasn't a surprise when the two started fighting, but when they drew their weapons, they were going too far.

Jumping down, she tripped both of them easily.

"I didn't think your relationship went that far down the crapper…"

Two surprised turtles stood, and Raph's single eye widened.

"…Kitten…"

"Hey, Raph…You're okay, right?"

"Kitten!"

He caught her in a bear hug, lifting her into the air.

"Whoa! Sorry, but you're crushing my lungs!"

He put her down, but he moved his hands to her cheeks.

"But…how…?"

"She's not OUR Kitty, but she's the Kitty we knew before she changed…" Mikey stated.

"…Time travel is possible…If it really was the Ultimate Drako had the Time Scepter…"

"Yeah…"

Cat turned to look at the rest of her brothers.

'Not really my brothers…but they still need me…'

"We need to stop the Shredder."

"We already tried…" Leo reasoned.

"Then we'll try again. You never truly fail until you stop trying."

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"I have a plan…"

She smiled mysteriously as she looked at the inventions behind them.

"But the important thing is for you to help…"

"But…The Shredder's helper…"

"I'll take care of them. But I need you guys."

Her eyes pleaded.

"I could never do anything without you guys there…"

"…'A course we will…" Raph stated.

"…We're family…We stick together…" Leo agreed.

Cat smiled.

"Then here's the plan…"

--

Bashing into the Shredder's throne room with a highly-modified Tunneler was AWESOME…

Cat jumped out, wings and tail free and spread as far as they would allow.

"Hey, Shredder. Ready for a butt-whooping?"

The large robotic body towered over them.

"And what makes you think my new little pet will allow it?"

Cat's eyes widened at the being that stepped out of the shadows.

It was her, only older, with more bat-like wings and completely black scales covered her completely.

Red eyes glowed with something Cat could recognize almost immediately…

Hatred…

"…Oh God…"

Karaibots surrounded them, and she growled.

"You guys hold them off…I'll take care of these two…"

"Be careful, Kitten…"

Cat smiled reassuringly.

"Aren't I always?"

Taking off into the air, the battle begun.

Fighting the Shredder in this larger, more cumbersome robotic body was easy, and she had him disabled easily, but the real challenge…

She blocked the bladed tail with her own blades, flying and maneuvering as she tried to strike herself.

She was knocked onto her shell and pinned.

"Why fight what you can not defeat?"

Cat snarled in frustration, struggling.

"The darkness and the dragon in you are too strong to fight…Why not just accept your fate?"

"M-My brothers…"

"They don't care for you. Don't you see? They think of you as a tool…"

"They don't…"

"Forget the light and move towards the dark…"

Cat felt something stir in her, trying to break free…

"NO!!"

She kicked her dark self off.

"My light is for my brothers! The darkness will never touch them! Not like this!"

Electricity danced across her scales, and she snarled.

"My brothers are more important to me than my own life! YOU seem to have forgotten! You let the darkness make you forget! REMEMBER!"

The red faltered in her eyes, trying to turn violet.

"M-My brothers…"

The Shredder stood up.

"You will NOT!"

A sword nearly impaled her, but Cat jumped back.

"The bond between siblings is too strong to destroy, Shredder! No matter what you could do, I would never completely forget them!"

A black tail grabbed the Shredder, throwing him into a wall.

"…I won't let you hurt my brothers…"

She sounded so weak…

As if she'd used all her strength to regain control…

Cat felt herself start slipping, as if something was pulling her away…

'No! Not until this is finished!'

Cat jumped forward, seeing the Karaibots come up behind the five turtles.

"NO!!"

Flash of blades and spurting blood was all that seemed to register, and she fell to her knees.

"No…Please, no…"

She moved towards Raph and her older self, eyes seeming darker.

"…Thank you…for reminding me…" Her older self forced out, blood dripping from her lips.

"…Never forget…the darkness…it may be strong…but your bond with your brothers…it is stronger…and so is your light…"

"…I'll remember…" She promised, feeling tears.

'Is this how it all ends? I-I don't want it to end…never…'

She felt herself being pulled away.

"…I-I'm sorry…"

And then she was gone…


	66. Chapter 66

She looked at the barren, rocky wasteland, and stood up shakily

She looked at the barren, rocky wasteland, and stood up shakily.

'Where am I?'

"What the shell?"

She spun around.

"Oh my God…RAPH!! MIKEY!! DONNIE!!"

She hugged them as tight as she could, suppressing the tears.

"Kitty…y-you're not dead…"

Cat gave a watery smile.

"No, Donnie…I'm not…"

"What have you done, rat?!"

She turned to see Ultimate Drako slamming Master Splinter around with the War Staff.

"SENSEI!!"

Flying in as fast as she could, she tackled his chest as her brothers followed to add more momentum.

"My War Staff! My Time Scepter! NO!"

He flung off her brothers, but Cat refused to be removed.

"Deal with it!" She growled, pinning him down as her own tail grabbed the Time Scepter.

"You fools! You do not have the power to use the Time Scepter or the War Staff!"

"Maybe, but you will never get your hands on them again!" Splinter stated, standing with the War Staff.

"I swear it!"

The War Staff glowed, and it blasted electricity.

The Time Scepter in Cat's hands did the same, and the electricity mingled in mid-air.

"What manner of sorcery is this?!"

"What's going on?" Cat questioned as Raph put his hands over her own, trying to help.

"I do not know!"

The power grew greater, and the three mutants began floating into the air.

"Hold on, my children! Hold on!"

Cat used one hand to grab one of Raph's.

"…We can do this, love…"

"I know, Kitten…"

They were suddenly teleported to the Daimyo's quarters, and Ultimate Drako was once again separated into two beings slowly.

"I don't understand!! How can this be?!"

Drako seemed to be turning to stone and crumbling as he yelled.

With a final yell, he was a statue, cracks all over him.

"Father?! Father!! Forgive me!!"

The same began to happen to the Ultimate Ninja, and both statues crumbled to dust.

"My son? Did I hear my son? What is going on here?"

The power died from the War Staff and the Time Scepter, and they were deposited on the ground as the others arrived.

"Master Splinter! You're alright! You're all okay!" Leo stated, relieved and happy all at once.

"Uh, sensei…what just happened?" Mikey questioned, looking confused.

"How'd we do that?" Cat added.

"I…I truly do not know…"

A light appeared, and Lord Simultaneous arrived.

"It's quite simple, really. It's like what I told your sons and daughter here the last time."

The Time Scepter flew into his hands.

"This Time Scepter has a mind of its own. It read everyone's thoughts, weighed good against evil, and set everything to right! With a little help from the War Staff."

Lord Simultaneous turned to the Daimyo.

"What a horrible mess…No one ever learns! I get so tired of cleaning up after megalomaniacs and madmen."

"No…No…"

Everyone's attention turned to the Daimyo.

"My son…No…"

"Let me show you the true and good powers of the Time Scepter. Controlled by the right hands."

The Time Scepter glowed, and the light created a young boy of maybe only five.

"Father! Father!"

The little boy ran to the Daimyo.

"I had the most horrible nightmare! Oh, father!"

"My son? Oh, my son!"

They embraced, and Cat couldn't help a smile at the sight.

"Do not cry. I, too, had a horrible nightmare. But it is over now. It's alright…It's all going to be alright…"

"And it's high time I put you all back where YOU belong." Lord Simultaneous stated, turning back to them.

"You've given me quite a headache, flitting over all time and creation like that."

"Usagi, thank you." Leo stated.

Cat smiled, turning to the samurai.

"Thanks for watching over him for me."

"It was no problem, sister."

"I still feel grateful, brother."

"Until we meet again, Usagi-san. Farewell." Splinter stated before there was another bright light.

They all ended up back in the lair, in front of the couch.

"Where'd ya guys go? I've been lookin' fer ya fer ten minutes!" Casey stated.

Yuki jumped into her arms as Klunk moved to rub against Mikey's leg.

"Ya guys been goofin' on me? Is this some kinda game like 'Hide an' Seek' er somethin'?"

"Yeah, somethin' like that…" Raph replied.

"Let's just say that it's good to be home…" Leo finished.

Cat smiled.

"And its nice to have some problems done with…"

'My darkness might not be gone…but I at least know my weapons against it…I'll fight it…for my brothers…'


	67. Chapter 67

"We have faced many adversaries

"We have faced many adversaries. We have fought many battles. And we have been victorious. But do we know why?"

The five turtles sitting around their sensei shared glances.

"'Cause SHELL, we're good?" Mikey stated.

WHACK!!

"OW!!"

"I don't think that's it, Mikey…" Cat stated.

"Sorry, sensei…"

"We have survived these many trials and tests by following the path of Ninjitsu…and by finding and using…?"

"Our inner strength?" Leo stated.

"Yes, Leonardo. Only by focusing on our inner strength can we overcome our enemies."

Cat saw Mikey looking around.

"Michelangelo! Where is YOUR focus?"

"Um…right over there, sensei…"

Cat followed her brother's gaze, and felt her skin prickle at the strange black devices in the water.

"What the shell are those things?" Don questioned.

"I don't know, but they're not good…" Cat answered, standing up.

A strange buzzing sound seemed to rip through the air and strike her, and she covered her ears in a vain attempt to keep it out.

"Sensei?!"

"Kitten?!"

"Don, what's going on?!" Leo questioned.

"It's these things!!"

"I-It's too much!! I-I can't-!!"

She felt herself slipping, and started falling backwards.

"KITTEN!!"

Raph caught her, but her mind was going black.

'Turn it off…i-it hurts…pl-please…'

She hardly realized that she'd been lifted into the Battle Shell until it started racing out of the warehouse and down the street.

"Kitten, ya better stay with me!"

'I-I'm trying, love…I-I am…'

She heard gun shots, she was sure of it, and struggled to get up.

"Stay down, Kitty!" Mikey begged, holding her down as Raph swerved into an alley.

"We've got missiles! Incoming!"

Cat closed her eyes, trying to gather her strength.

'That blasted noise! Just stop!'

Her skin rippled to scales as the noise seemed to raise in pitch, mocking her for her vulnerability.

Something went through the roof, and she heard some small things fall.

But the smoke that followed seemed ready to fill her lungs and irritate her throat until she couldn't breathe.

Choking weakly, she couldn't do anymore than lie there and take it.

The Battle Shell skidded to a halt, and she heard the back doors slam open.

"Take the rat and the hybrid! Let's move!"

She felt someone lift her up, cutting themselves on her sensitive scales, and was thrown onto the floor of what seemed to be another van.

But that noise persisted to drill into her brain, shattering her focus and stealing her strength.

With one last breath, she managed to say one thing before slipping away…

"Raph…"

--

Struggling into consciousness, Cat forced her eyes open.

"…Ow…" She mumbled, her head still throbbing.

She heard groans of pain, and turned her head to see a familiar sight.

"Sensei!"

"Caterina…"

"Good, you're both awake…"

Cat felt a snarl catch in her throat and rumble through her blood at the familiar voice.

"Bishop…"

"It's amazing…you're unique genetic make up will be helping save humanity…"

"Why don't you go to hell! THAT'LL be helping humanity!" She snapped.

"Such harsh words…Didn't anyone teach you manners?"

"…You did NOT just go there…"

'**Let me kill him for you…'** The darkness in her stated, trying to well up and take over.

'No…No killing…'

'**I'll maim him for you…torture him for all he's put you through…' **

'I don't care about what he's done to me!'

'**Then let me do it for your family…' **

Cat felt her snarl rumble louder as frustration hit her nerves.

'…Is this how I became evil?'

But it seemed Bishop had turned his attention back to Master Splinter as her internal struggle clouded her eyes.

"You seem confused…allow me to explain…I work for the Earth Protection Force, an organization made to face a mounting crisis. A crisis dating back to 1870, when Grant made the E.P.F after the first extraterrestrials landed here on Earth. Extraterrestrials…a crisis that is here to this day…as seen with the invasion of the savage Triceratons."

Cat looked at the screen with disinterest on her face.

"I assure you that similar invasions will follow. And someone has to be there to stop them. That is the purpose of the E.P.F. MY purpose. To create a new humanity. A new superior race. Born of enhanced DNA…"

Cat felt her skin ripple to scales again as a pressure built under her shell.

'I don't like where this is going…' She thought as he looked over a body covered by a sheet.

'…I REALLY don't like where this is going!'

"DNA acquired from genetic manipulation, alien autopsies, and even stolen from you and your brothers and sons."

She growled.

"But it was your mutated rat DNA, being so nearly human, that's finally allowed me to complete the process."

'…Uh oh…'

"And for that, I thank you…"

He pressed a button, starting up some engines, which fired up some other things around them.

"Yes…Yes!"

The electricity building suddenly left Cat drained.

'Wh-What's going on?'

"And with you here, my dear, not only do I have a weapon stronger than an atomic bomb, but the energy to bring life to the lifeless!"

'L-Let me go!'

Struggling, she let out a nearly silent cry of pain before the worst of it vanished.

"Finally! A new generation of human kind! The Slayer!"

Looking at the creations through hooded eyes, she shuddered.

'My chakra can't be in that thing…it can't…'

Bishop moved through the jars of bodies that were around.

"Not only are these future members of the protection force, but they are the new humanity."

"You're sick, Bishop…"

He seemed to ignore her.

"These clones are awaiting final DNA sequencing…By cellular acceleration, I can give birth to an army within six hours…Fully trained, thanks to my advances in bio-data transference, and you're DNA…I've uploaded complex survival tactics into this prototype."

Something lowered from the ceiling, and her scales prickled and sharpened.

"What will you do with them?" Splinter questioned as whatever it was grabbed the table he was strapped to.

"Main-stream them into the population, of course…We have aliens out there right now, living amongst us. My Slayers will ferret them all out…"

"What if innocent people get ferreted out instead?" The elderly rat questioned as his table was moved.

"What if errors are made?"

"Not my concern. I'm a bigger picture kind of guy."

'Who's going to lose his manhood if he hurts my father…'

"Besides, my calculations say that it would be BENEFICIAL if 57 of the Earth's population just…disappeared…"

He pressed a button, and Cat began to struggle again.

Master Splinter was lowered into an empty tube.

"Just think, our little lab rat. You're DNA will make it all possible…You're lucky you're such a unique organic specimen…you shall be preserved…"

The tube began filling with a green liquid.

"SENSEI!!"

Her struggling increased, and she heard that a train car was coming in.

'The one we took before?'

"Make a suitable reception, just in case it's occupied…"

'No…'

"Why don't you leave us alone?! We've never done anything to endanger anyone!!"

"But you could…"

"That doesn't mean we WILL!"

"You don't think I know of your…other side?"

She stiffened, glare turning deadly.

"That has nothing to do with this…" She growled.

"It has EVERYTHING to do with this…That part of you is where all your power comes from. The way to get to that power and harness it is through your emotions."

"I'm not an experiment you can toy with! I'm a living being!"

"Who said I was going toy with YOU?"

Alarms went off in her head, and her heartbeat went right through the roof and seemed to stop all at once.

Cat's eyes narrowed to dangerous violet slits.

"You wouldn't dare…"

"Watch me."

She sensed her brothers, knew they were close…

'No…not now…turn around, guys…turn around…'

Bishop went to 'greet' them.

'Oh God…run, guys…RUN…'

A ringing filled her ears, drowning out words but magnifying other sounds, such as swords being unsheathed or footsteps.

She heard the blows connect as the Slayer threw them around, and her struggles became violent.

'LET ME GO!!'

Her wings ripped themselves out of her shell, breaking the table she was strapped to and fell on her knees.

Hissing in pain at the skinned knees and palms, she got to her feet.

"Attack MY family, will you…"

Wings unfurling and tail unwinding, she ran in.

Grabbing the Slayer by his shoulder, she dug her claws in before tossing him into a wall.

Doing some hands signs, she held her palms up.

"Lightning Blast jutsu!"

The electricity slammed into the being, and she saw smoke escape him before he pulled off his helmet.

"…But…how?" She muttered in denial, seeing Bishop's face there, only half-robotic.

"OKAY…now I am officially freaked out!" Mikey stated.

"Me too, bro…Me, too…"

The Slayer jumped around, climbing up pipes, but Cat's skin crawled when his head turned COMPLETELY AROUND…

"…EW…"

The clone seemed to disappear from sight, and Cat wished she had her blades.

Holding them always reassured her…

Her tail flicked to the side, and her muscles seemed to coil up like a spring.

She looked up as Master Splinter was freed, and nearly cheered.

'YES! THAT'S my dad!'

Moving warily around, she kept her senses open.

'No one's sneaking up on ME…'

"GUYS, HE'S OVER HERE-!!"

She heard Mikey cry out in pain as he was flung, and she flew, inches over ground, to his aid.

"Ow…"

Landing beside him, she looked around.

"Which way did he go, Mikey?"

He sat up, putting a hand to his head before pointing.

"Got it…"

Taking off again, she saw Raph fly through the air.

"RAPH!!"

Catching him, the added momentum sent her tumbling through the air and hitting the strange containers.

"…Ow…you need to lose some weight, love…"

"Yeah, yeah…" He muttered, sitting up.

He saw the containers, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Bishop?"

Cat looked at it as well, and stood up.

"What the shell is he up to?"

"I don't know, but can't be good…"

Flapping her wings, she took off.

"I'm gonna go find him! Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone!"

Flying over and under and around pipes, she saw the clone ready to jump and tackle Master Splinter.

Folding her arms and wings, she flew like a dart and hit him in the chest.

He flew into a tube, and she spread her wings to rise into the air again.

"Professor! Seal it! NOW!"

Honeycutt obeyed, and Cat landed as the electricity did its work.

"NO!!"

The chain seemed ready to bust her skull open, but she ducked, grabbing hold.

With a yank, she pulled him through the air.

Spinning on her heel for a moment, she released the chain and let him fly into a machine.

The claw on the end flew and latched onto her forearm, which she put up in defense.

It was ripped back, and she stepped back as the three deep gashes spurted blood.

"AHHH!!"

Falling back on her behind, she put a hand to the wounds.

"Caterina!!"

Master Splinter blocked the claw as it came back for another try at her throat.

"S-Sensei…"

The claw retracted, and Cat got to her feet, nursing her wound against her chest.

With a jump, she jumped away as the claw smacked into a generator.

Splinter used some debris to hit a lever, and electricity coursed through the metal and hit Bishop.

He pulled the claw free, and Cat saw sparks fly.

'Uh oh…'

Using her chakra, she made a shield around her and her sensei before the whole thing blew.

Once the initial shock was gone, the shield went down and she looked around.

'Is everybody okay?'

Looking up, she felt sick enough to vomit.

'Oh kami…'

"Sensei! Cat!"

Turning away from the hanging body, she looked for her brothers.

"Guys! Over here!"

"We have to get out of here-!"

Another small explosion made them look around as everything began to fall apart, and some liquid came free, reaching their mid-shin.

Cat looked around for an escape, when she saw the chain.

'Wait-Where'd he-?'

"This isn't the end! You'll pay! Someday, you'll all pay!"

They saw him going up a ladder further off.

"After him!"

Running, they started climbing up the cold metal, and Cat pulled her wings tight against her shell.

She gritted her teeth as the gashes on her forearm pulled and tore with the exertion, but she kept climbing.

She faintly heard explosions as they reached the top, and everyone jumped out.

"Hey! We're in the middle of Midtown!" Mikey noted.

Looking around, Cat noted the silence before pulling her wings in.

"And Bishop's nowhere in sight…" Leo added.

Don took a look at her gashes as Master Splinter looked around.

"We shall see him again. Such men are hard to destroy."

Cat nodded, flinching as Don poked the wound.

"OW! Be a little more sentimental to the wounded, Donnie!"

"Come on. We need to get home."

"Yeah, yeah…"

As they ran to the sewers, Cat tried not to cry out in pain.

'Damn it…why can't the bad guys stay down?'


	68. Chapter 68

Cat meditated soundly in her room, eyes closed and breathing even

Cat meditated soundly in her room, eyes closed and breathing even.

The muscles on her left forearm tensed, and she felt the bandages that were still there.

She felt herself in the astral plane, peace seeming to lift her up like wind under her wings.

Her skin rippled to scales as she let herself slip free.

She saw the Shredder, Karai, Hun…

She saw her brothers and sensei…

'Why am I seeing this now?'

There was a flash of metal, pain, and spurting blood, and Cat literally fell back on her shell, heart pounding.

'A vision? But of what?'

She shuddered as a thought rumbled through her head.

'**A vision of the future…'**

'…But what future?'

--

Sneaking in was easy for the 'Princess of Stealth', and this grand party was enough to make her hide in the shadows.

'Damn fancy party's and damn Shredder…'

She saw April and Casey get in, as well as Raph and Mikey in the cart.

Don and Leatherhead were below, and Splinter and Leo were across the street on a building.

'I just want to get in and get out…I feel bad about this…about dragging my family into this because I had a vision similar to sensei's…'

She grinned as she heard Honeycutt's voice on her headset.

"The security system's down and they don't even know it."

'Great job…'

Moving like a shadow, she hid behind shrubbery.

Making sure Leo and Splinter got across safely, she got to the side of the building and climbed using her grown claws.

Flipping silently onto the roof, she followed her blue-banded brother and elderly father.

She put a hand on the headset, hearing Don's voice.

"You know that REALLY big thing the Shredder is up to? I think I just found it…It's a starship!"

"He's got a starship?" Cat muttered.

"He has finally found a way to leave this planet…"

"…And that's not a good thing?" Leo questioned, following his sister and father as they jumped down.

"He will bring his evil to other worlds…He will attack our friends, the Utroms…Millions will suffer at his hands…"

Cat sighed, looking up at the starry sky.

"…Then we'll just have to cancel his flight…"

"How are we doing, guys?" Leo questioned into the headset.

Cat looked around, not really listening to the reply.

Once they got the affirmative, they went into Saki's 'office'.

"Sorry, but your flight's been cancelled!"

Pulling out her blades, she twirled them expertly, though her forearm still stung.

"You're evil ends here and now, Shredder!" Splinter vowed, shooting an arrow.

Saki caught it easily, and Cat slid into an offensive stance.

"I shall relish destroying-."

Raph and Mikey kicked him in the back, making him stumble forward.

With the onslaught from all five of them, he was backed up against a wall.

Slashing and smashing him around, his clothes and the fake skin were torn off to reveal the robot parts underneath.

With a jump and a powerful kick, Saki was sent onto his back.

Suddenly, he fought back more viciously than before, sending Leo, Raph and Mikey into a wall before doing the same to Splinter.

"You're not getting rid of ME that easily…" Cat growled, blocking his strikes and lashing out herself.

Hun and the Elite busted in, along with Foot ninja.

'No! He's getting away!'

With a lunge, she tried to land a powerful punch, but it was dodged.

Dust flew up as her fist came in contact with the floor.

Running to stop him, Hun stepped in her way.

"Move it!" She snarled, blades catching the light.

With a quick kick, he flew into a wall, and she ran to the statue that Shredder had escaped through.

Using her blades, she ripped it open.

"Come on!"

Jumping down, she heard some others follow her.

She landed easily, and came out to the Shredder facing Don and Leatherhead.

"If two can't beat you, how about six?"

"Together, we will stop you!" Splinter added.

The Elite and Hun landed behind them, and Cat's eyes flashed red as she snarled.

'I'm tired of this!'

Something started beeping, and her skin prickled, rippling to scales for a moment.

'…Uh oh…'

A door blew, a some men ran in.

"Well-Well-Well…isn't this cozy?"

"Bishop…" She snarled.

'**Let me kill him…let me out…' **

'No…you can't control your blood thirst…'

"On my mark, destroy them all!"

'No…he wouldn't…'

"Open fire!"

"NO!"

Chakra flew from her skin, making a shield that made the blasts bounce right back.

Everyone moved away, seeing her fall to one knee in an attempt to keep it up.

'I can't fail…Not this time…'

She heard Hun smack Mikey and Splinter away, and she stood.

"…Why don't you all just go to hell!?"

Her chakra exploded, sending Bishop's troops into a wall before turning around.

"HUN!!"

Seeing him send Shredder to the ship, she ran in low and tackled him hard.

"I warned you too many fucking times!! LEAVE MY FAMILY ALONE!!"

Lifting him up, she threw him as hard as she could across the room.

Seeing Leatherhead pounding on Saki's robotic body, she smirked.

'Go, LH…'

Hun smacked her in the stomach, and ran to tackle Leatherhead.

"LEATHERHEAD!! LEATHERHEAD!!"

Hun seemed surprised to see Shredder was an Utrom, and it gave an opening for Leatherhead to tackle him back.

In all the confusion and fighting, Cat was flung out and smacked into the starship shell-first.

With a groan of pain, she started falling, and she pulled out her wings.

Flying straight up, she saw the robotic body heading for it.

"Shredder!"

Landing in front of him, she crouched down as her tail lashed around and her wings spread as wide as they would go.

Don knocked over a can and sprayed the robotic body with liquid nitrogen.

Splinter used a claw and chain to shatter the robot and leave the little Utrom on the floor.

The family moved towards it, and Cat growled as Karai landed behind him and ran towards her.

With a snarl, she charged, barely missing her as she jumped away.

The family chased her, intent on stopping them.

Karai made it through the doors before they closed, and Cat smacked into it headfirst.

"OW!! Shell of a-!!"

Digging her claws into a door, she started pulling it open.

It wouldn't yield, and she felt ready to make the whole thing burst into flames.

Don came forward, asking Honeycutt to open the door.

When it finally opened, missiles were fired from helicopters above them.

"MOVE!!"

Cat jumped in, and grabbed Don, pulling him to safety inside.

The others had jumped in the opposite direction, but were still safe.

The starship started up, and was pulled free of whatever was holding it.

"We've got to jump for it!" Leo stated.

"Come on!"

They jumped, and Cat's heart sank.

'PLEASE make it…'


	69. Chapter 69

They weren't going to make it…

They weren't going to make it…

With a jump, she grabbed Splinter's hand, slamming onto the edge of the doorway.

Gritting her teeth as she used her left arm to lift herself up, she pulled all of them in as a chain.

Once they were all safely inside, the doorway closed, and they heard the rocket start flying up before the force sent them to the floor.

Landing on her still bandaged arm, she bit her lip until, after what felt like an eternity, the force dissipated and they could stand.

Don found a little stand, and pressed a button in order to open the door that led to the interior of the starship.

Walking into the hallway, they looked around.

"Come on. Let's go find the Shredder an' pay our respects…" Raph stated.

"Wait! We must rethink our priorities!"

Everyone turned to Splinter.

"This vessel represents the real threat. To allow the Shredder such mobility will put millions of lives in danger!"

"I have sent urgent messages of warning to the Utroms, but…I proceed no response…I'm not sure I've gotten through." Honeycutt informed.

"The Shredder must not return to the stars. We must gain control of this starship." Splinter stated.

Nodding, they headed down the hall to start looking for a way to control it.

Pulling in her wings and tail, she looked around warily.

'…I hope we don't get our shells kicked TOO bad…We've been through enough as it is…'

The whole starship quaked, and everyone fell over.

"…Well…SOMETHING blew up…" Cat muttered.

Standing up, she made sure she wouldn't fall over before helping Mikey up.

"Be careful-."

Another explosion rocked the ship, and Mikey fell over.

"…Never mind…"

They kept moving, and soon entered a room with the power core.

"Whoa…I hate to say it, but…impressive…"

"Well, we're gonna have to break it Donnie, so suck it up."

"…I know, Cat…"

"Just put me into any maintenance output, and I should be able to take complete control of the ship." Honeycutt stated from the device on Don's belt.

Don slipped the device into an input, and Mikey grinned.

"We can make this the control bridge! Spokk-To-The emergency bridge! Scotty-We-Need more power!"

He laughed shortly before he saw the looks on his family's faces.

"Heh…Sorry…"

"Four minutes, and I will have complete control." Honeycutt informed as the door opened.

Cat pulled out her blades at the sight of the Shredder's new exo-suit.

"We don't HAVE four minutes!" Leo informed, pulling out his katana.

Karai came in beside the exo-suit, and Cat growled slightly.

"Shredder…may my Master Yoshi's sword take vengeance today!"

Splinter and Shredder clashed, and Cat watched warily.

They all surrounded him, ready to strike.

Attacking in small groups and singles, they tried to hit him, but he blocked and lashed out himself.

Dodging a fist, Cat skidded to a halt a meter or so away.

Karai ran in, defending the space where his Utrom body was visible, and Shredder threw Mikey and Raph threw the air.

They hit Don, and him and the red-banded turtle flew over the railing.

Jumping, Cat caught both of them.

"You guys need to be more careful…"

Pulling them up, she felt the starship shake as more explosives hit it.

The walls began exploding, smoke hitting her nostrils and seeming to burn her sinuses.

Coughing harshly, she covered her mouth and nose.

'Darn my sensitive nose!'

A strange wire fell, splitting in two, both ends sparking.

Don and Mikey grabbed them, and ran to try and touch the Shredder with them.

Unfortunately, their opponent took the wires himself, knocking the two away.

He was ready to shock Mikey, and Cat got to her feet only to see Splinter push his youngest out of the way and take the shock.

"SENSEI!!"

Jumping, she grew her claws and tackled the Shredder in the side.

"LEAVE MY FATHER ALONE!!" She snarled savagely, fangs growing in as her eyes flashed red.

He threw her off, and her shell slammed into the railing, denting it.

Standing up with a groan of pain, she saw Shredder come up behind Leo and kick him towards Karai…

Who held a katana up…

She heard the sword slip in, and she felt tears pool in her eyes…

"LEO!!"

Eyes swirling a violent red and skin shimmering to scales, she bull-rushed the older kunoichi, sending her flying through the air.

"Aniki!! Aniki, please be okay!!"

She kneeled by his side, shaking his shell.

"ANIKI!!"

Raph seemed so angry he went after Karai, though the Shredder defended her.

The tears dampened her mask, and she stood up.

'I'm sorry…I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, aniki…'

Raph was beaten back, nearly tired enough to fall on his shell, and the Shredder raised his large metal gauntlet.

'No…'

It caught the light, ready to swipe him open.

'…I can't fail again…Not with him…'

In a flash, there was a flash of metal and spurting blood as pain flared through her plastron…

Flying through the air from the force of the strike, she flipped through the air and hit the ground hard, rolling.

She stopped on her plastron, face hidden.

To anybody looking, they'd think she was…

"K-Kitty…" Mikey stuttered, fear crawling into his heart.

"Cat…" Don forced out, fear strangling his voice.

"KITTEN!!"

Raph was kneed in the gut and thrown, his body landing next to Leo.

Mikey attacked, but his knee must've been knocked out of joint, because he cried out before Shredder stomped on his shell.

Don tried next, but his wooden Bo didn't affect the metal.

Don's wrist was strained when he tried to punch, and his other shoulder must've been dislocated as he fell to the floor in pain.

Honeycutt was knocked out of the input device, and the Shredder put his helmet back on before raising his gauntlet and ready to strike a mortal blow.

Something grabbed his wrist, and he turned in surprised.

"Caterina?!"

Shadowed violet eyes glared back, even without emotion on the rest of her face.

"…I told you…Leave my family alone…"

Blood streamed from the cut over her chest and stomach in a diagonal stripe, and her own blood was splattered on her legs, arms, and face.

Crushing the wrist like tin foil, she threw him towards the door.

He slammed into Karai, and an explosion rocked the starship again, making the door close.

Skin sparking, she turned to see her family struggle to sit up.

"K-Kitty…you're okay?" Mikey questioned in disbelief.

Seeing the shadowed look in her eyes, worry replaced the momentary relief.

"Kitty?"

Eyes glazing over, she fell forward, and Raph caught her.

"Kitten!!"

"I-I'll be okay…" She forced out weakly.

"…H-How's Master Splinter?"

All five siblings turned to see their father.

"My children…I am sorry…"

"It's not your fault, sensei…we couldn't stop him…we failed…we failed the Utroms…Master Yoshi…We failed YOU…" Leo stated.

"…I failed you…"

"So that's it? Shredder wins?" Raph questioned testily.

"It's not like we're in any shape to stop him…" Mikey reminded, looking pained.

"Unless…"

Leo turned his head to look at the power core behind them.

"You know…that's a lot of energy…"

"In the wrong hands…" Raph continued.

"It would make a pretty big bang…" Mikey finished.

"We'd never survive…" Don informed.

"Neither would the Shredder." Leo replied.

"We could end this…"

"No…my children…I could never ask you to…"

"I-It's alright, sensei…" Cat interrupted weakly, struggling to her feet.

Blood dripped to the floor, and she staggered in pain.

"W-We know the score…"

"If we don't stop the Shredder now…" Raph started.

"Millions of innocent beings throughout the galaxy will suffer at his hands…" Don finished.

"It's alright, father…we're all agreed…" Leo assured.

"…Then let us finish this…together…"

Don went to pick up Honeycutt, praying that he still worked.

Cat closed her eyes, summoning all her strength and pulling out her wings.

Moving towards Don, she knew what she'd have to do.

'At least I can protect them as best I can…even if I die…'

She heard Honeycutt's voice counting down from five, and tensed, her wings spreading and scales bristling.

Raph grabbed her hand, and she nodded hesitantly.

'I know…this is for the best…'

The door opened a second before Honeycutt hit zero…

The power core seemed to burst, and Cat spread her wings, shielding her closest brothers from the force she knew was coming.

Suddenly, it was like everything…

Stopped…

When everything moved again, Cat was in an infirmary, her wounds being tended to.

Apparently, the Utroms had come and saved their shells, and were going to put the Shredder on trial once the turtles and Splinter were tended to.

Cat hissed in pain as the wound was touched, and her wings, still somewhat independent from her conscious brain, bristled and lashed about.

Utroms had to hold them down as the wound was cleared and disinfected.

Once the bandages were put on, she relaxed, breathing deep.

"…S-Sorry…th-they have a mind of their own…" She muttered apologetically.

"It is alright."

She smiled weakly at Mortu.

"I-It's good to see you again…"

"Same to you, my friend. It's time to join your family for the trial."

Nodding, she shakily got to her feet, pulling her wings against her shell.

Soon, she was with her bandaged family, on a platform facing Utrom Shredder, Karai, and his new scientist.

Trying to seem unaffected by the pain, knowing the cut would be another scar to add to her collection, she stood up straight, wings bristling and tail lashing from side to side.

The tribunal of Utroms was behind them, and stated all of the Shredder's crimes over his existence.

Cat closed her eyes, feeling her heart squeeze as she heard the numbers of innocents he'd killed.

'One million…3.2 million…'

"We shall now commune on the outcome."

Opening her eyes slightly, she breathed out.

'All those people…they were families…fathers, mothers, sisters…brothers…'

"In the name of the great law-giver, this tribunal finds you, Trell, guilty! You are hearby sentenced to eternal exile on the ice asteroid."

"You are not fit to judge me! I am the Shredder! I am invincible! I-I…No! NO!"

He disappeared.

"May your actions haunt you forever…As for the Shredder's comrades, they shall be returned to Earth and handed over to the proper authorities."

The platform beneath Karai and the scientist began moving down, and Cat's eyes hardened.

'…She needed to choose…and she made the wrong choice…'

"This is not what I wanted, Leonardo…This is not what I wanted!"

The floor sealed them off, and Cat put a comforting hand on Leo's un-bandaged shoulder.

"…It's okay, aniki…"

"We all owe you a debt of gratitude." Mortu stated.

"The Shredder has finally been brought to justice."

"…Is it really over?" Leo questioned.

"No more Shredder?" Raph added, holding Cat's hand tight.

"Yes, my children…my Master Yoshi's spirit can finally rest in peace…The Shredder is finished."

She nodded.

'But he's left his mark…and not only on me…'


	70. Season 4: Chapter 70

Cat opened the door, legs shaking as she supported Raph and Leo

Cat opened the door, legs shaking as she supported Raph and Leo.

"Ow…OW! RAPH!"

"SORRY…"

'Touching my chest there HURTS…'

"Hey, what's the hold up? You're not getting another fork, Mikey! You broke the last two!"

"But it ITCHES!"

"Suck it up and live with it! Now move your shell out of the door before I kick it in!"

Casey tried to help Cat with her load, but she shrugged off the help.

"I'm fine."

Once in the doorway, she breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Okay…let's steer towards the couch…"

Raph was laid on his shell on the couch, and he seemed a bit more pained than usual.

Mikey hobbled to a recliner, sitting down with a sigh of relief.

Even with both legs broken, he was still annoying…

"THAT'S…better?"

Mikey sniffed the air as Cat plopped down on the floor, her shell against the couch.

"EW! What's that smell? It smells like burnt-!"

He caught the look Splinter was giving him.

"Oh, yeah…sorry, sensei…"

"Alright, who's hungry?" April questioned the group.

"Me…" Cat stated weakly, raising her hand with the others.

When she didn't hear Leo's agreement, she looked around for him.

He was at the window, looking out at the darkness.

"Aniki?"

"…I'm fine…" He replied tersely.

Worried violet eyes didn't leave him, though the others decided it would be best to leave him be.

'…Are you really? Or are you as broken as I am?'

Once dinner was eaten, they were up in the attic to sleep.

Cat glared at her youngest brother.

"Michelangelo, what did I tell you about scratching with a fork?"

"…Not to?"

"Exactly. Now drop it."

April came up with snacks for the basically bed-ridden 'patients'.

"April, can you take that fork from Mikey? I don't want to bandage any scratches he might give himself…"

April happily agreed, and Cat laid back.

"Thanks. Now all of you can shut your mouths. I'd like to go to sleep."

She straightened, however, when she saw Leo at the window.

"Aniki? You need to sleep, too…"

"…Later…"

Worried, she sat up.

"Then I'm not sleeping until you do." She said stubbornly.

"Imouto." He said in a warning tone.

"Aniki."

"Caterina…"

She could see he was ready to start something, and steeled herself.

"Leonardo…"

He turned back to the window without another word, and Cat settled herself into her nest of blankets.

'You can't get rid of me that easily, Leo…I'm your sister, no matter what you say…'

A sound reached her ears.

"Someone's outside…" She muttered, grabbing her blades from the bedside and trying to stand.

"Stay up here. I'll check it out." April assured, dropping her load and heading downstairs.

Leo and Don went to eavesdrop, and Cat grumbled something to herself as she tried to reign in her impatience.

"Casey's grandfather was a train-robber…"

"Really? COOL…"

"We shoulda known Casey came from a long line 'a boneheads…" Raph stated.

"Got THAT right…" Cat agreed.

She heard a gun being drawn, and bolted to her feet.

Wincing at the fresh pain, she nearly ran for the stairs.

"A gun…That asshole down there has a gun!"

"We shoulda known Casey's lack 'a smarts would run in the family…" Raph griped as he sat up with an effort.

"What should we do?" Don questioned.

"Hey, I've got it! We disguise ourselves in old animal skin-!"

Mikey pulled the bear fur off his bed, putting it on.

"-Get close enough to Sid, then spring on him!"

"Oh, Mikey! If only I could beat ya right now-BAM!"

Cat heard a crack, and Raph put his hands to his chest.

"Ow…"

"…Don't do that again…I'll just do it for you…"

SMACK!!

"OW!!"

"Thanks, Kitten…"

"You must take this seriously. Sid is obviously distressed. We need to-."

"I'll take care of Sid." Leo interrupted Splinter.

He headed for the window, and Cat took a step towards him.

"Leo?"

The blue-banded turtle stopped after he opened the window, and she saw the headlights.

As the cars stopped in front of the farmhouse, she growled.

The passengers seemed to be Purple Dragons, only with a new look, and toting Federation blasters.

Cat clearly heard the door get kicked in.

Leo and Don hid in the shadows of the staircase, and Cat was just behind them.

"Purple Dragons…I hate Purple Dragons…" She heard Leo mutter.

'And I don't? Aniki…what's up with you?'

She heard something crash, along with delighted laughter.

'Monsters…'

A harpoon pierced the floor, and everyone's attention turned to it.

"…I sure picked a bad time to have broken legs…" Mikey stated.

"Speak fer yerself, Mikey. I can fight seven Purple Dragons lyin' on my back." Raph replied.

"Our injuries do have us at a disadvantage…" Splinter reasoned.

"Enough talk. Let's take them down!"

"Leo, you're stealing Raph's line!" Mikey stated.

"Hey, I don't mind! I like it when Leo talks tough! Maybe we should get Karai to stab 'im more often!"

Leo whirled around, looking pissed.

Cat got between them.

"He didn't mean anything by it!"

"Wait! Leave Raph to me!" Mikey added.

"Raph needs a hiding place, don't you boy? And I've got JUST the spot…"

"Hidin' spot?"

Leo and Don lifted him up.

"Hey! Don't even-! No WAY am I missin' this action!"

Putting him down in the closet, they backed out.

"Don't worry, Raph. We'll come back for you! …MAYBE…"

The door was closed, and Cat smacked her forehead.

'…My brothers are SO immature!'

"Mikey! Ya better hope I never heal!"

She heard Raph vow through the wooden door.

The remaining turtles and Splinter snuck out through the window, and hid in the darkness.

Some men came out as Leo kept honking the horn.

They disappeared into different directions, Cat taking the barn roof.

'This is too easy…like a tiger stalking its prey…'

She heard something fall, and looked over the roof at the fallen wood shack.

"Two busted legs, flat on my shell, and I'm STILL all that and a bag of chips! …HMMMMM…CHIPS…"

'That's Mikey for you…'

She heard sounds from beneath her, and grinned.

'Go, Donnie…'

Looking around, she saw the guy on the other side of barn stop.

"Ew! What's that smell? It smells like burnt-."

He got smacked in the back of the head.

"…Hair…"

He fell over unconscious, and Cat grinned, giving a salute to her father.

"I may indeed smell, but at least I am still conscious."

'…I have a cool family, don't I?'

She thought of Mikey.

'Well…sometimes…'

The man near the car started shouting to his 'comrades', and Cat carefully moved to the ground.

Trying to be careful of her still very FRESH wound, she slinked closer through the shadows.

Seeing him get pulled into the van, she heard the sounds of him getting beat up as another man came to see what was wrong.

He opened the door, finding it empty, when the unconscious man was thrown onto the hood of the car.

He turned, and the car door smacked him onto his back.

They circled him, Cat with her hands on her hips.

"…Good shot, Leo…"

They zoomed past the front window like shadows, and Cat pulled out her tail slowly.

'This is gonna be fun…'

When the door opened, all the thug got was an unconscious body with a happy turtle face drawn on him.

'…Actually, THAT was pretty funny…'

By the time April and Casey had sorted everything out, dawn was just starting to break.

'…There goes a good night's sleep…' Cat thought darkly, rubbing sleep from her eye cutely.

They got in through a window, and Cat sat down, breathing out a sigh of relief.

Mikey sat on the sill, getting his crutches.

"Well, the pain is worth it! At least I'll get to razz Raph for missing out on all the action!"

A crutch was ripped from his grip, and he fell forward on his face.

"Not ALL the action, Mikey." Raph stated from his seat beside the window.

"…OW!!"

Cat heard laughing outside.

"They're laughing…I can't move, and they're LAUGHING…"

"We'll heal. And then we'll beat the shell out 'a fer havin' such a whack bag family...But yer first, Mikey…"

SMACK!!

"OW!!"


	71. Chapter 71

'Camping…thank the lord it's just camping…'

'Camping…thank the lord it's just camping…'

Cat looked around at the old sawmill as she leaned towards the fire.

Their wounds had healed considerably, and the gash across her chest and stomach was now a very tender scar.

"Let's stow our stuff an' go explorin'." Raph suggested.

Cat got up to follow her three brothers when she realized Leo hadn't moved from his seat.

"Aniki? You coming?"

There was no reply, and Cat felt worried again.

"Just leave 'im. If 'e doesn't wanna play, 'e doesn't wanna play." Raph stated, continuing on his way.

Cat was unsure if she should stay and try to comfort her oldest brother or follow the others.

'…Who's less responsible?'

It only took a moment for her to find an answer.

"…Don't mope around all night, Leo…Guys! Wait for me!"

She followed the three turtles into the sawmill, looking around.

Walking in warily, she looked around warily.

The three jumped up to reach the top, and she rolled her eyes.

'Boys…'

Jumping up, she sped past them, reaching the top easily.

"Hey, slowpokes."

Grinning, she pulled herself through a hole in the roof, and confusion set in.

"Leo? When did you…?"

The others climbed up behind her.

"Looks like our silent partner decided ta join us." Raph commented.

"Look! A shooting star!" Don noted.

Everyone looked up at the sky, seeing the bright blue object sail through the star-covered night sky.

That's when it TURNED…

"But that would mean it's not a shooting star, but some kind of piloted mechanism…" Don muttered.

It was heading straight for them…

"Who cares, Donnie?! RUN!!" Mikey yelled.

Cat pulled out her wings, lifting her brothers before whatever it was crashed through the roof and landed in the water.

The weight itself was too much, and Cat fell into the water with her brothers.

Surfacing quickly, she sputtered, wings keeping her afloat.

"…You guys need to lose some weight…I can't keep doing this…"

Mikey surfaced.

"I'm ALIVE!!"

They walked onto the shore, Cat shaking her wings dry as she looked at the steam rising from the water.

"What the shell WAS that?" Mikey questioned.

"I'd like to know that myself…" Cat muttered, wings bristling as her tail wound around her leg.

Something moved below the surface, air bubbles showing its location.

"Well, Mr. Big Mouth, I think we're gonna find out…" Raph replied.

Everyone pulled out their weapons except Cat, the blades on her tail putting slight pressure on her shin.

A large robot came out of the water, some parts of it sparking as it stepped out of the water.

It said something in a strange language, and Raph immediately got on the defense.

"Whoa there, Sparky!"

"Hey, guys. Maybe it's friendly." Don suggested.

"…I'm gonna have to save his shell, aren't I?"

"You got it, Kitty!"

Mikey grinned.

"But Donnie could be right! Let me try something!"

'Oh lord…'

Mikey stepped forward, basically saying something he thought was akin to what the robot said…

Then it threatened to shoot them…

"Yeah…it's FRIENDLY alright…If THIS is how it treats its friends, I'd HATE to see how it treats its enemies!"

The gun or cannon began charging up when Leo jumped forward, cutting it clean off.

The robot tried to punch him, but missed, and the others jumped in to help.

The robot went down HARD…

Leo jumped on, cutting at it, and Cat jumped up, catching him in her wings.

"Leo, stop! We won!"

Holding him until he relaxed and stopped fighting her grip, she released him warily.

Mikey looked at the spot where Leo had been slashing.

"Whoa…it's a girl…"

They brought…whoever it was…back to their camp, settling her in a sleeping bag.

Leo stayed distant, and Raph would try to calm the worriedly rattling scales with soft touches.

"…Raph, I'm really worried…I've got a bad feeling…"

"I know, Kitten…but 'e'll get o'er it…"

'…What if he can't?'

"…Doesn't look like she's from around here…" Mikey noted, his eyes still on the alien girl.

"Blue skin yer first clue?" Raph retorted as Don covered the alien with a blanket.

"Yeah…but where DID she come from?" Don questioned.

"We'll ask when she wakes up…Unless Mikey says something stupid again and she attacks us…AGAIN…" Cat stated.

"ONE time!"

"What have I told you?"

"…It only takes one time…"

"Exactly. Now stop making me repeat it."

The time seemed to fly by as Raph and Mikey 'fought' and Leo practiced. Cat sat back against a log, reading 'The Alchemist' by the brightening light.

Don sat next to her, waiting patiently.

"She still hasn't woken up?"

"Nope."

She saw Raph bull-rush Mikey, who flew into the girl, who promptly woke up and grabbed his wrist.

'…My brothers are like chain reactions…for an atomic bomb…'

Mikey panicked, and as flipped over and into a tree before the alien jumped to her feet.

Cat jumped to her feet, her book toppling to the ground beside her, as her scales rattled and her tail lashed out at the very air.

She spoke an unknown language, but Don insisted they not attack.

"We mean you no harm…"

The woman pulled out a strange device, which made her strange necklace glow.

"Why has Moriah sent her minions to do her dirty work? Why will she not face me in fair combat? Speak!"

Cat stepped forward, looking calm.

Don seemed to amazed at the universal translator.

"When you attacked us last night, we thought you meant us harm."

"I did. I thought you were my enemies."

"We are not, I assure you."

Mikey rubbed his head.

"Peace."

Don moved forward as the alien touched her arm tenderly.

"Your arm is hurt…I could look at it for you…"

"It is just dislocated. How will looking at it help?"

Cat smiled slightly.

"She's got you there, Donnie."

The alien woman walked up to the tree Mikey was leaning on, making him move away, and relocated her shoulder by smashing it against it…

"…OKAY…" Cat mumbled.

'That was a bit EXTREME…'

"That's better."

"Who are you?" Don questioned.

"I am called Jhanna."

She explained everything around the campfire as they ate.

"I was chosen to defeat our current ruler, Moriah, in fair combat, so that I might take her place."

"…Sounds pretty much like the way we do it here…" Mikey stated through a mouthful of food.

"EW…MIKEY…"

Don shook his head slightly.

"Not quite. We…well, not us exactly, but we beings in this country elect our new leader and the old one steps down…It's a peaceful process…"

"MOST 'a the time…" Raph added.

Jhanna walked off a bit.

"Your process sounds fair…if a little boring…but Moriah is not a fair ruler. It was SHE who shot me down before I reached the designated battleground."

"So what'll you do now?" Cat questioned, standing up and leaning against a tree.

"It will be decided here…"

Jhanna took a strange device, making it beep.

"Only one must return victorious…"

She stabbed it into the ground.

"And now…I must prepare myself for battle…"

She got into a meditative position while on her fingertips, and Cat quirked an eye-ridge.

"…That's actually kinda cool…"

The five turtles shared a glance before Don stepped forward.

"Jhanna, we want to help you."

"No, Donatello."

"But from what you said, how do you know Moriah will fight fairly?"

"It is a chance I will have to take."

The beeping took a deeper pitch, and Cat's tail stiffened.

"She approaches…"

Jhanna stood, taking the tracking device.

"Can't you just tell your people she tried to ambush you? Get her disqualified or something?" Don suggested.

"No. This is our way. My honor is at stake."

Cat pushed off the tree.

"I will face her alone."

Jhanna headed off on her own.

"Come on, guys. Ya heard the lady. An alien's gotta do what an alien's gotta do." Raph stated.

Another figure came out of the shadows, and Cat felt her wings prickle against her shell.

"There you are, Jhanna. I missed you! A mistake I won't repeat this time!"

"You face me in FAIR combat now, Moriah!"

"Poor Jhanna…Someone like you will NEVER understand politics…They can get…messy…"

Cat felt the ground rumble deep under her feet as something…walked towards them…

'…Aw shell…'

Four strange creatures crashed through the trees, and her wings bristled.

One seemed made of stone and more squat, while there was one that looked like a giant purple leech-fish.

Another looked like a strange alien glob of semi-transparent liquid, and the last was like a strange swamp creature from one of Mikey's old movies.

The creatures roared, moving in.

Cat's wings spread to their full length, scales rattling violently in outrage.

'Dishonorable whore!'

The creatures surrounded Jhanna, but she started moving, unleashing her strange weapon.

"You're cowardly tactics will not save you, Moriah!"

Jhanna evaded three of the creatures, but the rock one smacked her away.

She flew into the blob one, and Cat took off into the air.

Jhanna was struggling to get out when the rock creature through an explosive for the alien's 'prison' to eat.

The other four turtles leaped into action as Cat pulled her wings in tight, spinning with electricity escaping her skin as she did a nosedive.

She went through the creature like an arrow, grabbing Jhanna on the way and opening her wings, flying up.

"You okay?"

"I am fine!"

"Good! Now go beat her butt!"

Putting Jhanna down safely, Cat looked around to see where she was needed.

The strange, reptile-pterodactyl creature grabbed Don, pulling him into the air with a shout of surprise.

"Donnie!"

Jhanna went to attack Moriah as Cat flew up as fast as her wings would allow.

Using her tail, she slashed at the creatures back and shoulder.

"My brother's not a snack!"

She grinned when Don jumped onto its back, steering it towards the ruins of the sawmill and making it crash.

She caught her purple-banded brother in mid-air.

"Nice one, bro!"

Both saw Moriah move to an immobile Jhanna, ready to finish her off.

"Go, Donnie!"

Dropping her brother, she flew into the air.

Leo and Raph seemed to be having trouble with the leech creature…leech CREATURES…and Mikey was getting knocked around by the rock one.

Well…

Mikey's danger equaled Leo and Raph's safety…

At least…

But when the rock creature got Mikey buried waist-deep under rocks, Cat swooped in.

"HEY!!"

She slammed into the creatures chest, going straight through.

The explosive it was holding was set off, and Cat was flung through the air thanks to her outstretched wings.

Cat hit the ground at a somersault, stopping on her shell.

"…OW…"

Getting up with a groan of pain, she looked at her brothers, relieved they were safe, before looking up to see Jhanna and Moriah fighting.

Flapping her wings slightly, she was on the grass again.

Her brothers joined her, watching the fight.

Jhanna was SERIOUSLY kicking Moriah's butt…

But Moriah was a cheat, so she threw dirt in Jhanna's eyes so she could get her weapon.

"HEY!! Disqualified!!" Cat yelled, feeling like Raph when he watched wrestling.

Though blinded, Jhanna fought well enough, beating Moriah up once again.

Jhanna then touched Moriah with her weapon, making a strange orb.

"Is she…?" Don asked uncertainly.

"No. But she's lost the election."

Jhanna fell back, weakened, and Cat and Don caught her safely.

They helped her walk back to the abandoned sawmill, where they made camp.

Everyone was asleep that night, except Cat.

Her sleep was still fitful and draining, nightmares and ghoulish images keeping her awake late into the night.

She was barely awake when Jhanna awoke, and the only proof that she had noticed was that her scales rippled.

Don had given up his own sleeping bag, and Cat only used her own as a pillow nowadays.

The deep voice must have been calling Jhanna back, because she stood.

Cat wasn't sure what the alien woman did, but she heard her saw goodbye before the light faded.

When she opened her sleepy violet eyes, she saw Jhanna was gone.

'…Goodbye…friend…'

Dawn came all too soon for the white-banded turtle, and she rose with her brothers.

Don was up before his other brothers, looking at the sunrise.

"…She's gone…"

"Yeah…that's gratitude for ya…" Raph replied, stretching.

The van pulled up.

"Hey, there's our ride! Yo, Casey!"

They grabbed their packs, putting them into the van.

Cat turned to see Don hadn't moved yet, and she walked over to his side.

"…Come on, bro…"

He nodded, closing his pack and following her as she pulled her wings in.

"You know…I've been meaning to test that…"

"No."

"But-."

"No. The LAST time I let you 'test' on me, I was sick for three weeks!"

"I was thirteen!"

"Two years! I'm not letting you anywhere NEAR me with a needle!"

"PLEASE, Kitty?"

"NO!"

"…PLEASE-?"

"NO!"

"…PLEASE, Kitty-Cat?"

"…If you weren't my brother, I'd hurt you…"

"Oh, come ON! One test! PLEASE!"

"NO! Wait, what are you doing with that needle? Stay away from me, Don…Don't you dare-! AHHHHH!! STOP IT DONNIE!! STOP CHASING ME WITH A NEEDLE!! THAT'S A HEALTH HAZARD!!"

'And this is what I live with…'


	72. Chapter 72

Sitting on the bridge as the sun set, Cat looked out at the water

Sitting on the bridge as the sun set, Cat looked out at the water.

"What are we doin' hangin' 'round 'ere fer? The suns 'bout ta set! Let's go raftin' down the river like we said we was gonna and get this campin' trip in gear!" Casey griped.

"So, what do ya say, Leo? What's goin' down, bro?"

Cat looked at the exchange from the corner of her eye.

'…Leo hasn't spoken much lately…I'm not sure if I should leave him to deal with it or help him...'

"Down? The river, I suppose…"

'He wasn't really listening, I guess…"

"Uh…yeah…Okay, Leo…"

"Attention ladies and gentle a teenage mutant ninja turtles!"

Cat looked up at the voice of her youngest brother.

"This is the final call for the U.S.S Turtlerific! The most happening party this side of-! …Um…Uh…Casey's grandma's farmhouse!"

'Yeah…THAT was original…'

"Tickets, please! Tickets!"

"…Can I hit him?"

Raph smirked.

"Oh, I got 'is ticket…right 'ere!"

Raph did a cannonball, or what they sometimes called a 'turtle-ball', beside the raft, soaking Mikey.

Poor Mikey tripped over something behind him, flipping through the air for a moment.

Cat let out a short laugh before jumping down onto the raft.

"Be careful what you say, Mikey. You never know what somebody will do."

Everyone was aboard, and Casey used a long, sturdy stick to move the raft along as darkness set in.

"The river is so perfect…flowing just as it has for tens of thousands of years…ancient…mysterious…alive…"

"Jeez, April. You make it almost sound…spooky." Mikey commented.

Wildlife sounds reached Cat's ears, but one was loud enough for the others to hear as well.

"What…What is that?" April asked, voice trembling slightly.

An owl swooped down, missing them, before flying off.

Casey laughed slightly.

"It's just a barn owl. Nothin' ta be afraid 'a."

Cat shook her head slightly.

"If any of you are scared, you can stay in my wing…"

Before she'd even fully pulled them out, Mikey was in one.

Rolling her eyes, she just held him comfortingly, looking at the trees and the night sky.

She thought she heard April say something to Don in a whisper.

"Sometimes…Sometimes Casey can be so cool…like now…focused and grown up…mature even…"

Casey burped…

"…You were saying?"

Cat smiled slightly, but she still felt bad for her purple-banded brother.

Everything soon turned silent, with Mikey reading a comic book in the confines of the silvery-green wing with a flashlight and Don mixing chemicals.

Raph was fishing, and Leo…

Leo was just staring at the water…

Cat, looking up from her joined reading with Mikey, cast him a worried look.

'I didn't want any of them to feel the pain I have…'

Her scales rippled, signaling danger.

April, who had fallen asleep, woke up groggily.

"…Oh my gosh…"

Everyone followed her gaze.

"I didn't know we lived so close to…one of these…"

"I saw it on the local news…they're shuttin' this place down…" Casey informed.

"Finally…someone's come to their senses…" April agreed.

"Aw, yes…nuclear power plants…once heralded as the future of energy, but they've become the Purple Dragons of energy production. Hard to clean up after and even harder to get rid of."

They passed the plant without being noticed.

"But it looks like those cooling towers have already been rigged for demolition…That's one power plant no one has to worry about anymore…Any questions, class?"

Cat rolled her eyes.

"Great, a teacher…Who said I wanted to get an education, Donnie?"

Her scales rippled again.

'Danger…'

"Hey, Leo. Help me out 'ere, bro. Up ahead, on the left. Is that the turn to that lake Master Splinter told us 'bout?"

"...Yeah…that should be the way…"

Brow furrowing with worry at the tone of voice, Cat sat up straighter, noticing the exchange of looks between Mikey and Don.

They camped near the lake, and they were actually having a good time.

They were telling jokes, and Casey decided to tell one.

"Why are Utroms always lonely? …'Cause they ain't got no BODY!"

Casey and Mikey laughed, but Cat couldn't enjoy the fun, her gaze always flickering to her oldest brother, who was outside of the circle of tents and the fires warm glow.

"Hey, I got one, Case! How do you measure an Utrom? In inches!"

Casey seemed confused, and Mikey grinned.

"In inches! They don't have feet!"

Cat let out a small laugh, but it was a bit weak.

'Poor Leo…does his shell still hurt?'

Standing up, she discreetly left the others to their fun and walked to Leo's side.

"…What's been bothering you, Leo? You haven't really been yourself lately…"

"Yeah…I…I don't know…Well…I guess I do…"

She could see how hard this was to explain, and didn't rush him.

"It…I just can't stop thinking about the last time we faced off against the Shredder. That the only way we could've defeated him was by blowing ourselves up. I couldn't protect you guys…sensei…I feel like such a complete failure!"

Cat felt her heart twist.

'Leo…'

"And no matter how I try to rationalize it, to justify it…It all comes down to the fact that I wasn't good enough!"

"Leo…I-I feel the same way…"

She saw the surprise flash across his face.

"Cat…you didn't do anything wrong…"

"Then why did all of you get hurt?" She interrupted, feeling the tears again.

"…You're not the only one meant to protect this family, Leo…I am, too…"

"…But…"

"Who's going to protect YOU when you need it? That's what I'm here for."

"…Then who's protecting you?"

Cat lowered her eyes.

"…I have to deal with my own problems by myself…"

"That's not-!"

Leo cut himself off when he noticed something in the water.

Cat perked, wings tensing and scales bristling.

What looked like the swamp creature from Mikey's favorite old monster movie walked out of the lake, heading straight for them.

"Guys…" She warned, tail lashing side to side.

The others stood, wary and on the defense.

It walked towards them, and then…

Collapsed…

"…She's hurt?" Cat muttered, lowering her wings and moving forward.

"Mikey, quick! In my backpack! Get me my first aid kit and my tech pad!" Don ordered.

"Sir! Yes, sir!"

Cat was by the creatures side, and turned her over gently.

"There you go…" She muttered quietly.

"So what is she? Some kinda fish?" Raph questioned.

Cat sighed, putting a finger on the neck, checking for a pulse.

"…Hey, no gills…" She informed.

"And she's not breathing…"

Cat perked, heightening her hearing.

"I can't find a pulse!"

"According to my tech pad, these markings…they're burns…RADIATION burns…she's been exposed to a massive dose of radiation." Don informed, kneeling on her other side.

"Darn…" Cat mumbled.

April came to her side.

"Cat, help me out. I'm going to clear her throat and prepare her for mouth-to-mouth."

"Uh…guys…I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but…there are more fish people, and…they are NOT looking happy!"

Cat turned.

"…For once, Mikey's right…"

She turned to Casey.

"You help April."

The white-banded turtle stood, and stepped in front of her youngest brother.

They seemed to snarl or growl, and she returned the favor, baring her fangs.

"It must look like we're hurting her…keep them away…we need more time!" April stated.

Leo ran in, katana drawn, and was thrown into the lake.

"LEO!" Raph called.

He then bull-rushed another one, both tumbling into the water.

'…Great…just GREAT…'

"What the-?"

Mikey was ganged up on behind her, and she whirled around with something akin to a roar and pounced.

It took ten minutes to hold her down, five more to try and pin her wings to her shell, and even more to successfully lift her from the ground and pull her into the lake.

Taking a deep breath before her head went under, she struggled more violently.

She broke free of their grip, her tail smacking them away as her legs propelled her forward.

Raph and Leo were still fighting, and Mikey and Don were being tied up with strange seaweed.

Leo and Cat cut them free, but she was running low on air.

Grabbing her brothers, she started swimming up as fast as her body would allow.

They would've been at the surface if they weren't cut off.

Suddenly, the four creatures left them, swimming up to the surface.

The turtles followed moments after, breathing deeply.

Walking to the shore, Cat dried her wings as she watched the sad sight.

The female was dead…

Her body was taken back to the lake, and her wings drooped, rattling sadly in the night air.

"Wait…her burns! Radioactive burns from the nuclear power plant!" April stated.

"Her eggs, Casey! She was trying to save her eggs!"

Cat moved forward, understanding the gist of it.

"She laid eggs near there…and now they're in danger…"

"What's with ya girls an' knowin' these things?" Casey questioned.

"It's the woman's way. Now let's go!"

Using the raft to head back, Cat kept her eyes closed as she felt the night air dry the water on her skin.

"I don't know, guys…We've been to some nasty places, being ninja turtles and all…but this place REALLY gives me the creeps!" Mikey complained as they got off and walked onto shore.

"What do ya think, April?" Raph questioned.

"Is this it?"

April stepped forward.

"I can't tell…some of this area looks familiar from the vision…but it's hard to be sure…"

"According to my reading, the workers have thoroughly cleaned the area inside and immediately around the nuclear reactor." Don informed, night-vision goggles in place.

"Let me guess…this is one 'a those good news-bad news scenarios, right?" Raph commented.

"UNFORTUNATELY…Yes…it seems they neglected to clean anything up beyond the plant itself…Especially over this way…"

Don led them to a small little river, where the water was literally glowing green.

"This creeks water is completely contaminated…the nuclear rods cooling fuel is leaking into the creek…and…worse…"

"I hate it when there's a 'worse'…" Mikey griped.

"That dyke over there…it's about to burst…"

April seemed to zone out, remembering something.

"The river! That's where the merwoman's eggs are!"

April moved to see the river.

"I'm sure of it! This is what she wanted me to see! This is what she showed me in the vision! We have to do something to save those eggs!"

Cat looked down.

"If those eggs hatch and the babies swim through that leaking radiation…They'll all perish…"

"Then what are we waitin' fer?" Raph questioned.

"We need a plan. But with all this radiation around, we'll need a safe plan. What do you think, Donatello?"

"When they take down cooling towers, they always rig them to implode and collapse inwards. We might be able to re-rig one of these so it falls outwards and creates a new barrier. One that will block the leaking dyke." Don answered April.

"Yo. What 'bout the radiation?" Casey asked.

"The cooling towers themselves aren't radioactive. We won't need bio-suits or anything."

"Then the first thing we have ta do is sneak in there." Raph stated.

"Right. And like the three musketeers used to say, 'One for all and all for ninja mode'!"

"…Not my brother…" Cat muttered playfully.

"Of course I'm paraphrasing…"

SMACK!!

"OW!!"

"What is WRONG with ya?"

"What?"

Raph, Mikey, Leo and Casey were chosen to sneak in, while Cat went with Don to re-rig the explosives.

He called April on his Shell Cell, informing her on their position.

An alarm went off, and the two turtles slipped into a cooling tower.

Looking around, Cat fanned her wings slightly.

Don moved a control panel, opening it to expose the wires.

As he fiddled with everything, Cat kept a wary watch.

"We should have a new dam in about sixty seconds!"

"Then let's move." Cat ordered softly.

They ran out, the door closing behind them, and Don whipped out his Shell Cell.

They started moving when Don slipped on a banana peel, falling on his shell as the cell flew out of his hands.

A man in a radiation suit found them, and Cat's tail stiffened.

'Smooth move, Donnie-boy…'

"Whoa! What the heck are you?"

"…People in costumes?" Cat suggested.

He threw a punch, but Cat ducked, back flipping and kicking him under the chin.

He stumbled back a couple steps before righting himself.

Cat grinned.

"Look, I don't have time for this, so accept my apology."

"Apology for what?"

"…This…"

Her tail knocked him right off his feet.

"Come on, Donnie!"

"We can't just leave him here!"

Cat growled slightly, lifting the man up and starting to carry him to safety.

"Why'd he have to be so BIG?" Cat whined.

She fell forward.

'Damn my heavy wings!'

She looked up as she heard footsteps.

"Leo…"

"Come on! Let's go!"

He helped lift the heavy body, and the three kept running.

They jumped over the wire fence just in time before the cooling tower exploded.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" She heard Mikey yell.

Running faster, they were safe from the explosion as the tower fell to make another dam.

"Come on, guys!" April called.

"We're gettin' outta 'ere!" Casey added.

They were soon back on the raft, going down the river again.

"So…do you think we did any good back there, April?" Don questioned.

"I mean…did we really save the last of the merpeople of Ilantius?"

"Well, Donnie…I don't know…I guess we'll…never know…"

The sun began to rise, and Cat lay back on her shell, pulling her wings and tail in.

'…I hope we did…'


	73. Chapter 73

Sometimes, listening to the news made Cat's little 'depression' worse, so she was advised to do things that took her mind off of it

Sometimes, listening to the news made Cat's little 'depression' worse, so she was advised to do things that took her mind off of it.

She was trying to play the keyboard she and Donnie had fixed up once they got the time, when she saw Leo leave.

'…I get the feeling he's going to do something Raph-like…'

"Kitten…"

Looking up, she saw Raph there, looking a bit worried.

"Yeah?"

"…Are ya 'kay?"

She smiled weakly.

"Never better…"

"…I don't think so…"

Sighing, she leaned back in her chair.

"…What do you want me to say? That I feel miserable? That I feel like I ate dirt and it's clogging my airway? That I want to just go to my room and stay there until I die? That the only reason I get up in the morning anymore is so that you guys don't worry?"

She stood up.

"What do you want from me?! I can't just tell you everything!!"

"Maybe if ya weren't bein' so damn moody 'bout nothin', ya would!!"

"Who says it's nothing?!"

"'Cause nothin' happened!! Ya overreact fer the littlest things!!"

Hurt flashed through her eyes.

"Oh, so my feelings aren't important?"

Mikey and Don watched worriedly.

Those two hadn't fought like this…well…EVER…

Something was seriously wrong with Cat if she picked a fight with her boyfriend…

"I never said that." Raph retorted defensively.

"But that's what you meant!"

"Yer twistin' my words 'round-!"

"There's no need to explain what you already said! I get it!"

She stalked around the keyboard, heading for her room.

"When my feelings actually MATTER to you, I'll be in my room!"

"Kitten-!"

She jumped to the second floor, and the sound of her door slamming echoed through the lair, shaking the brickwork.

"…MAN, Raph…I've never seen Kitty that mad…" Mikey stated, comic forgotten on the couch as the two kittens cuddled against him in worry.

With a sigh, Don nodded.

"She's very emotionally fragile right now…You have to be careful of what you say around her…"

"Since when did she get so touchy?" Raph griped.

"She hasn't exactly been…normal…since we went to that freaky building and all that…" Mikey noted softly.

"…And we haven't really tried to help…" Don added.

"So what are we supposed ta do? She ain't gonna talk 'bout it…"

"She thinks that she CAN'T, Raph. She has to know that we care about her feelings as much as she cares for ours." Don stated.

"How do we do that?" Mikey questioned.

The two older brothers shared a glance.

"…You go first…"

"WHAT?!"

The two older brothers pushed the youngest in the right direction, and made sure he couldn't back down by knocking on the door.

"Who is it?"

"Uh…It's Mikey…"

There was a moment of silence, and Mikey would've left if he hadn't heard the lock click out of place.

The door opened a crack, and he saw a teary violet eye through it.

"…Wh-What is it, Mikey?"

"…I wanna talk…"

He saw the hesitation in her eyes, and realized that he could see her emotions more clearly than he remembered.

'Do I even really know her?'

The door opened enough to let him slip in, and she closed it after him.

"…What do you need, Mikey?"

"…Actually…I don't really want to talk about me…"

She wiped her eyes clear, seeming confused.

"…You don't want to talk about yourself? Do you have a fever?"

She even put a hand on his forehead, and he pouted childishly.

"I'm fine. But I'm worried about YOU."

"…I'm fine…"

"No you're not…You're really worrying us…"

Cat sat down on the bed, leaning back on the rocking hammock.

"…I…I'm just not strong enough, Mikey…"

"What are you talking about? You're a Battle Nexus Champion!"

"Not like that…" She replied.

"…You wouldn't understand…"

He kneeled down in front of her, staying eye-level.

"…I'm willing to try…if it means it'll help…"

A watery smile.

"…You're a great little brother, you know that?"

"I've been told. Now spill."

She looked down, trying to collect her thoughts.

"…Remember when we went to that one building and we fought that weird creature?"

"I wish I didn't…why?"

Shadows covered her eyes.

"…I remember waking up, and I was worried, because I didn't know where anyone was…I saw Donnie…H-He had a hole in his chest, and I nearly panicked…"

The old worry, the fear, made tears pool in her eyes.

"H-He died in my arms, asking why I killed him…why I let the monster out…Then I saw you…"

Mikey perked, curious and guilty all at once.

'How did we not notice?'

"…Y-You were missing your arm, Mikey…and it scared me so bad…but it was worse when you were so scared to let me near you…"

She tried to steady her breathing.

"…Then sensei and Leo attacked me to protect you…Then Raph…"

She bit her lip for a moment.

"…He would've killed me if my tail hadn't moved on its own…I-I killed him, Mikey…even if I didn't mean to…"

Mikey sat down next to her, giving her a comforting hug.

"…It was a nightmare, Kitty…it was meant to show us our deepest fears…what we couldn't stand…"

"I-I know…and I would've gotten over it if…"

"If what?"

"When we were separated by Ultimate Drako…I went to the future…or a version of the future…We were all broken apart…April, Casey, sensei…they were killed…and you guys…you were covered in scars and Don had a pacer of his heart and you were missing your arm and Raph lost his eye and Leo was blind…"

Her rambling stopped, and she put her forehead on his shoulder.

She felt…hot…like all this stress was making her body go into overload…

"I went to stop the Shredder…he'd taken control of the world…and found that…I'd been the one to cause all that pain…I-I turned evil…I'd forgotten how much I cared for you guys…"

Now he understood why it had hurt so much.

The four boys had always known that she cared about them, though now it was obvious she felt a different love for Raph.

She'd always been there for nightmares, scary movies, and 'monster sightings', and made sure they weren't alone.

He'd never realized that she needed that same comfort…

"When I finally snapped my future self out of it…e-everyone was killed but me…"

Mikey tightened his hold.

'Poor Kitty…'

He realized that he'd always seen her as an older sister, but the truth was, she was roughly the same age as the rest of them.

'How did I come to think of her as older? She's acted younger than me before…'

"…Then came the thing with the Shredder…"

Mikey still felt the scar that now marred her plastron.

"…I should've been able to do more…I-I should've been stronger…faster…smarter…I-I should've been…"

"Perfect?"

She didn't reply, but she pulled back slightly.

"…I don't usually try to be…Really, I don't…but sometimes I just want to be so that…"

"…Is this about us getting hurt and Leo going all Raph on us?"

"…I suppose…"

"…He'll be fine…it's not your fault…"

"…I guess…"

'I just wish I could've protected him from it…it's bad enough I feel it…'

"You ready to go out there and talk with Raphie-boy and Donnie?"

Cat sighed, really thinking.

"Alright…"

She followed him out, and two pairs of eyes snapped to them.

"Guys…I think I've got something to say…"

'Might as well get it over with…'


	74. Chapter 74

Cat looked up at the wire fence, and the abandoned desert-like buildings beyond

Cat looked up at the wire fence, and the abandoned desert-like buildings beyond.

"Is this place perfect or what? I used ta take the train out 'ere after school and raise some…"

Casey saw the looks he received.

"Uh…ya know…ta get away from it all…"

"I didn't know there were any places like this left in the burrows…it huge…shadows everywhere to hide in…" Don mused.

"It's like a ninja playground!" Mikey stated.

"What do ya think, Leo?" Casey questioned the blue-banded turtle.

"…We're losing daylight. Let's get training."

"Yes sir, Mr. Sunshine sir." Raph joked.

Everyone flipped over the fence, and only Casey managed to land flat on his face…

"Alright, you ready to play?"

Cat rolled her eyes with a nod, helping Casey up.

"What's this game called again?" Casey asked as they walked through the abandoned houses.

"It's called Stealth Hunter. Yours truly…"

Mikey elbowed Cat.

"Is still the mistress of the game, only matched by moi."

He grinned.

"We're teamed up this time. We get a thirty second head start and you guys start hunting."

"…Anyone want to switch teammates?"

Raph smirked.

"Sorry, Kitten. Yer stuck wit' 'im."

"…AWWW…"

"It's like 'Capture the Flag' ninja style." Don explained.

"They'll be wearing bandanas that we need to take from them. So far, none of us have been able to protect the bandana for more than fifteen minutes, except Cat."

The white-banded turtle grinned.

"My record is a whole day before we had to go home and stop the game."

"…Ya must be so proud…"

"…Sarcasm is not something to use around me…"

"…Got it…"

Mikey continued as if nothing had happened.

"That's because none of you are Michelangelo! Battle Nexus Champion!"

Cat rolled her eyes, smacking her forehead.

"And…"

He dodged Raph's smack.

"He moves like the shadow…"

"Hey, shadow. Catch this."

Raph whipped the orange-banded turtle in the arm with the yellow flag.

Cat smirked, taking it from him.

"Don't be so mean. Shadows don't talk, remember?"

"…That's a good point…"

"One-Two-Three-GO!"

Mikey started running with his own, and Cat jumped, disappearing in an instant.

Mikey turned on the stopwatch on his Shell Cell, and Cat hid in the shadows of a building.

The rooftops and alleys were always her friends and hiding places, and the shadows were a friendly cloak that shielded her from sight.

She could hear her brothers and Casey, and decided actually staying within HER hearing range of them might actually be fun.

She thought she heard something, and stopped.

Perking, she looked around.

'…Oh…just the rats…'

With a jump, she jumped through a glass-less window and landed softly.

Her skin prickled, rippling to scales as her senses told her there was danger.

Whirling around, she pulled out her blades, but found nothing.

'…I have a BAD feeling about this…'

She glared at her surroundings, eyes narrowed as she put her blades on her belt.

'…I hope it's just paranoia…I hope for ONCE it's actually paranoia…'

Senses pricked and her chakra sense expanding, she thought she felt an unfamiliar life force.

'…Why does it feel strangely…familiar?'

She jumped onto a rooftop, hidden, and saw a shadow in a building.

It seemed Leo saw it, too, because he busted through the window.

The shadow had disappeared, and her eyes narrowed.

'What was that?'

Settling down for a familiar waiting game, she saw Raph looking at a pile of rocks…

That were moving…

'Mikey, that had better not be your hiding spot…'

Raph kicked the rocks off, and a hoard of rats poured out.

Her shell tingled with the sound, and she closed her eyes for a moment.

'Better go look for Mikey…'

Jumping and following Mikey's life force, she jumped into a large room.

"Mikey?" She whispered.

"Hey, Kitty." The orange-banded turtle replied.

"How long has it been since you nearly got caught?"

"…Three and a half minutes…"

"…NICE…"

A shadow zoomed by them, and Cat tensed.

Mikey was officially freaked out, and hid behind her.

"K-Kitty…PLEASE tell me that's Leo…or Donnie…even Raph!"

She heard wood break, and turned around.

Nothing…

"It had BETTER be them…" She muttered.

"…Are we in trouble?"

"…"

Cat didn't have the heart to tell him, and instead looked around, electricity escaping her skin.

Mikey pulled out 'chucks as Cat grew her claws, on the defense.

The sound of wood striking something rang through her ears, and Cat turned in time to catch Mikey.

"Mikey-!"

She was cut off when a large beam of metal smacked into the back of her head.

She fell backwards, her shell ringing against the floor.

'Wha…? It's getting so…dark…'

Looking up with hooded, glazed violet eyes, she looked up at the shadowed figure.

Her vision turned bleary, and her head fell back.

Everything went dark…

When she finally woke up, she was tied to a strange table of wood, her wrists and ankles bound to each corner.

With a groan of pain, she opened her heavy lids.

"Wha…?"

She heard Mikey's surprised yelp, and her head snapped up.

"What the shell are you?"

He was across from her, with a strangely mangled, bandaged figure between them.

"…I think I'll have to agree with him…"

The figure laughed evilly, and Mikey joined in nervously.

"Mikey, don't encourage the crazy man…"

A fist crashed into the wood by her head.

"…Okay…that was a bit extreme…"

The other fist crashed on the other side, and she steeled herself when she heard the squeak of…

'Rats…'

The figure suddenly turned around and walked out, and Mikey seemed a bit uncomfortable.

"Uh…freaky psycho dude?"

The rats started to surround them, and Cat closed her eyes.

'Remember Gary. Cute little pet rat. Remember that.'

"Focus, Mikey…block out the rats…the scary, hungry, turtle-eating…AH!"

Cat looked up, seeing rats on the ceiling as well.

'…I don't mean to offend sensei, but…EW!'

Cat broke through her bonds as Mikey got his feet free and started running.

The rats chased them and jumped onto the back of the table he was still toting around.

"You wanna go for a ride, huh?"

He backed up towards a wall, and the rats jumped off before it shattered on impact.

"…Whoa…Come on, bro!"

Rats jumped on them, and Cat growled, pulling out her wings and flapping before pulling her brother onto her shell and running.

"Rats-Rats-Rats!"

"I KNOW, Mikey!"

Busting up through a cellar door, she breathed out as Mikey spazzed out again…

"EW! Get 'em off me! Get them off!"

"Mikey, cool it! JEEZE…"

Looking up, Cat smiled weakly at the others.

"Oh, hey guys…Have you happened to see a crazy guy with bandages everywhere that commands rats?"

"…What?"

Raph looked at her in confusion.

"You heard me. Psycho guy, crazy strong, rats follow him."

Looking around, Cat quirked an eye-ridge.

"Where's Leo?"

Everyone turned to see the katana-wielding turtle enter a strange tower and disappear into the shadows.

"…Uh oh…"

They followed him inside to hear the crazy man's laugh, and Mikey clung to her shell.

"Kitty…"

"Mikey, I'm going to ask you to do something VERY important…"

"What?"

"…GET OFF!"

Dumping him off, her wings stretched properly as she looked around.

He was above them, highlighted by the moonlight coming in through the hole where the roof should've been.

"Not HIM again…" Mikey whined.

"AGAIN?" Don questioned.

"That's the psycho who tied us up and tried to feed us to the rats." Cat explained.

The man pulled a string, closing the door.

Cat and Raph shared a glance.

"Trap…" They both muttered in unison.

Red eyes surrounded them in the shadows, and Cat's wings unfurled as she growled, baring her fangs.

Laughter filled the air with the rats squeaking, and her tail lashed around.

'Like a tiger waiting to strike…'

"They're only rats! How bad could this be?"

"Uh…Casey?"

Mikey poked him, pointing.

"…Bones…on the floor…"

Cat covered her nose, not wanting to smell it as she stepped back, her shell bumping into Raph's plastron.

The rats flooded in, and Raph turned around.

"Let's try the door!"

"Got it!"

Mikey came to help out, but it wouldn't budge.

"Get away from the walls! NOW!" Leo ordered, unsheathing his katana.

"EASY, rodents…NICE rodents…" Mikey muttered, stepping back to be shell-to-shell with the others.

"Have I mentioned my sensei was a rat? Master Splinter? Any relatives with us today?"

Mikey pulled out his 'chucks.

Cat's tail lashed out, smacking a few away before she whipped around.

Giving her wings a powerful flap, she saw many of them fly into a wall.

Mikey got backed up against a wall, with rats before him and more jumping down on TOP of him.

"There must be hundreds! We'll never take them all out at this rate!" Don noted.

"We don't have to! We just have to show that we're one meal that's not worth the trouble!" Leo replied.

They were forcing the horde back, and an angry yell bounced off the walls, striking Cat's ears like a mallet.

The rats fled, and Raph kicked one in the butt.

"Turtle is off the menu!"

"NOO!!"

Everyone looked up.

The figure jumped down, landing in a crouch, and pounced.

Leo ran in first, and got his shell handed to him in twenty seconds flat…

But when that guy stepped on Leo's hands while he was down…

With a sharp snarl, she bull-rushed him, tackling him off and digging her claws into his shoulders.

"Don't try that again!"

She was kicked off unexpectedly, and Casey ran in to help.

Raph was hit away when he came to his aid, and Casey was thrown into Mikey and Don.

Seeing this wasn't going to be easy, Cat pulled in her wings.

"…That's it…no more Ms Nice Turtle…"

Pulling out her blades, she concentrated chakra to the soles of her feet.

In a flash, she was fighting again, their moves so fast that they seemed like blurs fighting each other off.

It wasn't clear who was winning, but they had no time to guess since the rats decided to come back.

"They're coming back in!"

Raph saw a lightning-fast punch hit the bricks, making them crack from the crater.

"Then it's time we busted out!"

Running, he tackled straight through it, the others following.

"Good job, bro! I always said you were as thick as a brick!"

Raph growled at his youngest brother.

"Where's Kitten-?"

Two flashes zoomed past the group, one with a shimmer of white.

"…Never mind…"

In a flash, they were fighting again, when…

"AHHH!!"

Cat flew back, her shell smacking into Leo, a piece of sharp metal dug into her shoulder…

"Cat!"

"Ow…" She mumbled, eyes closed.

"Cat, are you okay?"

"Yeah…yeah, I think so…"

She tried to get up, but ended up falling back again.

"…Guess doing that takes more chakra than I thought…" She muttered, eyes half-lidded.

Leo put her down gently, standing with a growl.

"I've had enough of this madness!"

The figure was a rooftop across from them, laughing…

The blue-banded turtle threw shuriken, most of which were deflected.

One hit the concrete beneath their opponent's feet, and another was stuck in his shoulder.

The concrete crumbled, and he fell backwards and through the roof, landing in the building.

It sounded pretty rough, and Cat sat up with Don's help.

"Ow…that's GOTTA hurt…"

Leo turned around, walking through the group.

"It's over…let's get out of here…"

Raph lifted Cat up, cuddling her close.

Suddenly, the wall beside them seemed to explode, making a hole, and a familiar figure walked out through the dust…

They were knocked to the ground, and Cat had to roll on her injured shoulder.

Once she fought back the pain, she looked up to see Leo and the 'psycho' facing off.

They fought, and the man got away, jumping through a large window.

Leo followed him as the others stood, catching sight.

Cat forced herself to her feet, speeding to a stumbling run.

'Damn it, aniki! Don't get yourself killed! Isn't it enough that I have to worry about Raph and Mikey?'

They got inside.

"Leo!"

"Stay back! He's mine!"

The fighting was intense, and Cat felt worry gnaw at her.

"What if he can't handle it?"

"If 'e can't, I'm gonna be the first one in there. But fer now…"

Leo beat his opponent back.

"It looks like 'e's got more than one monster ta work outta 'is system…"

Then the fighting became even again, and Cat growled at the sharp instrument in her shoulder.

'If he hadn't gotten me with this, it'd be ME taking that beating right now…'

Something crumbled and broke, and Cat looked up.

"GUYS, MOVE!!"

A building fell through the roof, filling the room with dust, though Casey, Mikey, Don, and Raph were shielded by Cat's wings.

"LEO!!" Mikey called.

"Watch your step!" Don warned.

Everyone looked down.

"Whoa! It's rat central!"

Leo and his opponent were basically on an island in the middle of the rat-infested pit, and her worry twisted her heart.

"Leo, let's go!" Raph called.

He sheathed his katana, jumping across to them, when the platform gave out and his opponent jumped to save himself.

He landed on Leo, seeming intent on taking him down into the pit, but Cat grabbed hold of her brother's hand.

Raph grabbed her around the waist, and she held on as tight as she could.

They had to pull both up, and Cat was surprised when Leo kicked the man into the pit.

She looked away, closing her eyes, as he was swallowed by the horde.

His screams died down, but she felt them echo in her ears.

They walked outside, heading to the wire fence they'd gone over to enter.

They jumped over easily, even if Cat's shoulder hurt, but Casey crawled under it instead.

"Hey! We still have our bandanas on! What? It's been like forty-five minutes easy!"

Cat rolled her eyes, smacking Mikey upside the head.

Raph pulled off the bandana and whipped Mikey with it again.

"OW!!"

"Come on, Mikey…I think I need some anesthetic, bandages, and a warm bath…"

Cat shuddered.

"Make that THREE warm baths…"

"Me first!"

SMACK!!

"OW!!"

"What happened to chivalry? It's ladies first, THEN children."

"HEY…"

Cat smiled playfully.

'I just hope that's the end of it…for real…'


	75. Chapter 75

Mikey was sitting on a fire escape watching cartoons through a window as Cat meditated, eyes closed and blocking out the sound

Mikey was sitting on a fire escape watching cartoons through a window as Cat meditated, eyes closed and blocking out the sound.

Cat was above him, and heard footsteps behind her.

Turning her head, she smiled slightly.

"Go easy on him. He's still just a kid at heart."

They were soon safely on a rooftop, and Cat sat back.

"You two have been blowing off our training sessions!"

"ME?!"

Cat straightened, eyes hardening.

"I was MEDITATING!! I need that more than strength training, or haven't you noticed, Leo?"

The two glared at each other, and Cat huffed, crossing her arms.

"So I meditated for one practice! What about Mikey?"

"Him, too!"

"What's the big deal? So I missed one sparring match!"

"If I have ta put up wit' Mr. Intensity's little war matches, then so do ya!" Raph retorted.

"You are not taking your studies seriously, Michelangelo!" Splinter chastised.

"At least Caterina was strengthening her mind!"

"Come ON, guys! I don't need to train! I'm the-!"

"DON'T say it!" Raph warned.

"Don't ya say it!"

"BATTLE NEXUS CHAMPION!"

Raph growled, turning away as Cat smacked her forehead.

"What?"

"'What' is that you rub you're 'big win' in our faces every chance you get!" Don stated.

"Cat basically LET you share the title she deserved, and you don't see HER telling everybody. In fact, you basically tell people FOR her!"

"It does save me the trouble…" Cat joked.

"You even keep the trophy on top of the TV!" Don added.

"It's a wonder ya don't wear that thing 'round yer neck!" Raph griped.

"I…uh…tried…the chain kept breaking…"

Cat smacked her forehead again.

"Tell me when I get a red mark on my forehead…That means I'll have to hit harder…"

"Ya won the Battle Nexus Championship on sheer dumb luck!"

"HEY…" Cat whined.

"…It was just a deal…I had a bite in my shoulder bleeding like a broken dam!"

Mikey looked offended.

"Well, if I remember correctly, I beat YOU fair and square, Raph!"

"…I don't want to see THIS…" Don muttered, walking away.

"Michelangelo, you need to train, and, most importantly, you should approach your accomplishments with humility. Your sister has done so rather well."

"I don't remember being praised so much in one night…" Cat stated, looking a bit shy at the compliments.

"You mean accomplishments LIKE…being the greatest warrior in all the multi-verse?! Come ON…Training? I'm the Battle Nexus Champ-!"

Mikey was cut off by a bright light.

It was a portal, basically in the sky in the middle of the group, and Cat straightened, tense.

A familiar large form jumped down, aiming a punch at her.

She caught it easily, face serious.

"Kluh…What do you want?"

Three other figures jumped out, and her eyes scanned them with something akin to boredom.

"Brought the whole party, did you?"

A fourth jumped out, looking larger than Kluh himself.

"What is the meaning of this?" Splinter demanded.

"The laws of the Battle Nexus do not-!"

"Take them all!"

Grabbing his wrist, she threw Kluh over her shoulder.

"Kitty!"

She turned to see another one grab Mikey.

'Shell!'

Kluh picked her up by the shell.

"HEY!"

"It won't be that easy this time, 'champion'!"

Cat grabbed his forearm with her feet, putting pressure on a point and ripping his fingers loose before landing on her hands and throwing him over her.

"I'm a champion for a reason, big boy!"

"Ah…but what of your brother?"

She tensed, eyes narrowing.

"Keep him out of this before I punch you teeth down your throat…"

Kluh turned around, picking Mikey up by the front of his belt and raising his fist.

Mikey broke free, dodging the punch.

"Why don't we try to talk this over? Over coffee or something?"

He dodged another punch.

The gnocchi appeared in another bright light, and Cat paused mid-crouch, ready to spring.

"In the name of the Ultimate Daimyo, you are ordered to cease all combat!"

Cat snarled warningly, and Kluh backed off.

"Yeah, you better back off…" She mumbled, walking beside her orange-banded brother.

"On what grounds? My son and I were told this challenge was approved." The largest stated.

Cat helped Mikey up as gnocchi explained.

"On what grounds do they challenge us? We earned the title." Cat stated.

"According to the interferences in the final match and your own match with Kluh, he has called your honor into question."

Cat's eyes seemed to be on fire as electricity danced across her skin.

"Oh really?"

Mikey stepped back at the deadly calm tone she used.

"No female can have such power!" Kluh stated.

Cat pulled him down to eye-level, face stern and furious.

"I do, and you don't call me a cheater unless you want a nice crater in your face, bub. So I'll give you a chance to take back your statement."

Mikey made motions for him to take the chance, but he refused to.

"No! I will not!"

"You asked for it…"

Cat pulled back her fist, but Splinter caught her wrist.

"My daughter…"

"He's trying to taint my honor, sensei." She growled.

"Let the gnocchi explain…"

There was a moment of tension before she released the alien stepping back.

"Also, because of the interferences and…untraditional win…Kluh has questioned the wisdom of making you both champions. He wishes to challenge you both."

"At once?" Cat questioned, cracking her knuckles.

"No. The order will be chosen randomly."

Cat glared.

"Well, I hope I'm first…no one calls THIS turtle a cheater and goes away without getting a broken jaw…"

Mikey looked worried.

"And if one of us loses?"

"That one will no longer be a Battle Nexus Champion, and Kluh will take their place."

Cat looked at Mikey reassuringly.

"Don't worry, bro. I'm sure you'll do fine!"

"…You're only saying that 'cause you know you'll win…"

"…Well…kinda…"

Raph and Don seemed a bit happy to have the chance that Mikey wouldn't brag about being Battle Nexus Champion.

"In three days time, the Battle Nexus Champions will protect their honor and titles in the Battle Nexus. We are very aware of your disdain for Battle Nexus rules. There will be no combat outside of the arena. In three days, all will be decided."

The gnocchi disappeared, and Cat glared at the aliens still there.

"Three days, Earther." Kluh stated, looking at Mikey, who hid behind his growling sister.

"Three days, and I will grind your bones into dust and take my honor back."

The aliens left, and Cat snorted in disgust.

"Assholes…questioning MY honor…why I oughtta-!"

"So…uh…who's up for some training?" Mikey asked uneasily.

"I'll tell ya what I'M up fer…Watchin' ya get beaten inta paste!" Raph replied.

"OH, I can not WAIT…"

"But you don't NEED to train, right Mikey? After all, you're the CHAMPION…" Don teased mockingly.

Cat turned heading for the edge of the roof.

"Caterina?"

"I need some private training, sensei…I need to clear my head…"

"Master Splinter! You'll help me, right?" Mikey begged.

"You'll train me, right?"

Cat shook her head as Splinter refused with past comments of the orange-banded turtle, and he basically jumped onto her shell.

"Kitty, PLEASE!!"

"Mikey…"

He tightened his grip, looking like a monkey.

"PLEASE!?"

"Otouto, I need my own training…"

The Puppy Dog Eyes of Doom could not be denied, and she rolled her eyes.

"I don't really…"

"I'll help him train."

She shot Leo a grateful look.

"Thanks, Leo. You're the best big brother ever! …Now pry him off…"

"But…"

Mikey even had the Puppy Dog Pout now…

"I wanted both my favorite siblings to help…"

Shaking her head slightly, she snorted.

"Fine…"

"YAY!!"

Mikey jumped off, happy.

"I wouldn't be rubbing my shell just yet." Leo warned.

"We've got a lot of work to do…"

--

Master Splinter was writing the symbols on the brick wall as the others stayed behind him.

Cat leaned on another wall, fiddling with a kunai.

"I'm glad you guys came to support me." Mikey stated.

"Support? I wouldn't miss this beatin' fer the world." Raph replied.

"Kluh's or Mikey's?" Cat questioned, face still serious as she flipped the kunai in the air and caught it like it was second nature.

Splinter opened the gateway, and everyone headed through, Cat putting the kunai into her belt.

"Well, looks like no one's home! Might as well head back-!"

SMACK!!

"OW!!"

They headed through the Pavilion of Past Champions, and saw two new statues.

"…Nice…" Cat muttered, whistling slightly.

She perked.

"Looks like the Ultimate Ninja's looking for a rematch, Leo."

Both turned to see the little boy hiding behind a statue.

"Honored friends, welcome once again to the Battle Nexus." The Daimyo stated, walking in with the gnocchi.

"Old friend, it is good to see you well." Splinter greeted.

"And, old friend, you must be proud to have Michelangelo and Caterina honor you in battle once more."

"Couldn't I just honor you back home?"

SMACK!!

"OW!! KITTY…"

"I can't remember some things, but I remember you."

Cat turned to see the little boy looking up at her and Leo.

"Did we play together?"

Cat saw the uneasiness on Leo's face.

"Yeah…we did…"

Cat nodded, smiling.

"Then you two shall be my friends!"

'…AWW…that's cute!'

Her smile widened.

"Sure."

"Come, my friends. The arena."

The Daimyo brought them to the arena, and Cat put her hands on her blades.

"Gnocchi, I thought the tournament was only held every three years." Don stated.

"True, Donatello. But in honor of the challenge, we are holding what you call 'exhibition matches'."

Cat looked down at the fighting, mentally preparing herself.

Leo took Mikey for some extra training, and Cat sat down in a meditative position, closing her eyes.

'Heighten senses…spread understanding…feel disturbances…predict movements…'

She felt a little body sit beside her, and opened one eye, a small smile on her lips.

"What are you doing, friend?"

"Meditating. I'll be fighting, and I don't want to lose my focus."

"Will you get hurt?"

She couldn't imagine this little boy being the same man who tried to kill her…

"No. I'm Battle Nexus Champion…I think I can handle myself."

Ruffling his hair reassuringly, she grinned.

"So don't worry. Me and Mikey will get out of this alright…"

'At least…I hope MIKEY does…'

--

Standing in the Pavilion of Past Champions, she looked up at Master Yoshi's statue.

'…I know I've never met you, but please hear this one request…I don't want Mikey hurt out there…or killed…Sure, he's annoying, but what little brother isn't? …Please…just protect him…'

The gnocchi appeared.

"…It is time, champion…"

Her eyes opened, showing hard violet eyes.

"…Show time…"

There was blue light, and she reappeared in the arena.

"We will now choose who shall go first…"

The gnocchi made a strange wheel, cut in fourth's, two white and two orange.

"Spin it, Kluh."

The alien spun the little arrow, and Cat closed her eyes.

She felt it stop, and opened her eyes.

She straightened, eyes narrowing and hands on her blades.

'…Mikey…'

She could feel his worry, and turned to give Mikey a reassuring smile.

"You'll do fine, otouto. Don't worry."

She glared at Kluh, her skin rippling to scales as a sign of warning.

"If this is rigged and you hurt my brother…"

Growing her fangs slightly, she growled threateningly.

"You'll wish that the least I did was kill you…"

"Well, it's nice to know you'll be violent for MY sake…"

Cat smiled slightly at that.

"No prob, bro. Now go beat him up."

The orange-banded turtle nodded worriedly as Cat stepped out of the arena.

She watched the force field go up, and gave one reassuring smile before turning to the Daimyo's balcony.

Wanting to take the slow way, she grew her claws and scaled the bricks up, turning to see the fight.

A powerful hit smacked into Mikey, and she winced.

'He should've disappeared…'

Danger made her scales ripple over her skin, and she moved up faster.

At the top, she peeked over to see Kluh's father holding the Daimyo's son and say that his 'wizard' was taking away the protection magic of the arena.

'No…'

Like a shadow, she moved around them, and, in a flash, she had the boy in one arm and her blade in the other, held at his throat.

Crouched on his shoulder, her glare seemed as hot as magma.

"You threaten my family…you threaten my friend…and you question MY honor?"

"You little pest!"

She back flipped off his shoulder, holding the boy close to her chest.

The poor child clung to her for dear life, and she smiled slightly when she felt another presence behind her.

"Hey, aniki. Sorry if I stole your spotlight."

"No problem, imouto."

She turned to the blue-banded turtle.

"Would you take care of him? I have some…business to take care of…"

He nodded, relieving her of the boy, before she turned to the large alien.

"You've taken this too far. If you should be trying to kill anyone, it should be me. I beat your son, and I made the deal with my brother. My family isn't involved in this."

"You would put your life on the line for his?"

She nodded curtly, eyes hot.

"What a fool you are! You wouldn't stand a chance! A little weakling like you!"

Raph smacked his forehead.

'He's dead…he's SO dead…'

"If I'm so weak, then what's your son? Lower than dirt?"

He growled, but Cat kept her face serious.

"I warned your son that if he hurt my brother, he'd be lucky if the worst I did was kill him…But you've taken this too far…"

"You can't fight me!"

He threw a punch, but she caught it deftly, and started crushing it easily.

Forcing him to his knees in pain, she glared.

"I won't kill you. I've seen enough to make me sick. And MY father taught me better than that."

She looked up at the Daimyo as he picked up his War Staff.

"I'll leave him to you, then."

"Thank you, Caterina. You are a true warrior, and a very great sister."

She smiled shyly.

"Aw, I just do my best…"

Then she realized the fight was still on…

"OTOUTO!!"

Jumping over the large body and running to the edge, she skidded to a stop, unconsciously grabbing Raph's hand as she looked down.

Her eyes widened when she saw Mikey actually beating the shell out of Kluh, who fell to his knees.

The Daimyo used his power to lift the 'cheaters' into the air.

"Gaze upon what you have done. Now YOUR son's life hangs in the balance. I will let Michelangelo decide your fate, and the fate of your son, as Caterina already has."

She grinned when Mikey stopped his twirling 'chucks and literally poked Kluh in the head, sending him back.

She couldn't help a cheer with the crowd.

"That's my little brother!"

'I just hope he doesn't let this go to his head…'

--

They were in a familiar large room, special white armor on that was engraved with their signature color.

They waved to the cheering crowd, smiling.

"Michelangelo. Caterina. Step forward."

The two obeyed the Daimyo, who held up two pendants.

"For your valor and nobleness of character, I hereby award you both with the Battle Nexus Medal for Unparalleled Honor."

He hung one around each of their necks, and Cat fiddled with her own.

Her other brothers didn't seem so happy that Mikey had another one, and Cat looked up curiously.

"But…what about my match with Kluh?"

"You have proven yourself a Battle Nexus Champion time and again. You have a heart of gold and light, don't forget that."

She nodded, bowing respectfully.

Mikey held his, grinning.

"So WICKED…"

When the festivities were done, Cat was on the roof, looking at the moon.

"Hey, 'champion'…"

She smiled.

"Hey, love."

The red-banded turtle sat behind her, pulling her onto his lap.

"Ya 'kay?"

"Yeah…"

Leaning her head on his shoulder, she fiddled with the medal around her neck.

"…Do you think I deserve this?"

"Ya deserve it more than anyone else I know…"

"Yeah…I guess…"

She kissed his cheek.

"Why can't you be this sweet more often?"

"And lose my rep? No way."

She rolled her eyes, and he flipped her on her shell, hovering over her.

"And what was THAT supposed ta mean?"

She smiled.

"Why don't you try to find out?"

"Ya asked fer it…"

When their lips touched, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

'When was the last time we made out in the moonlight?'


	76. Chapter 76

Blades flashing, three turtles attacked their blue-banded leader

Blades flashing, three turtles attacked their blue-banded leader.

Cat blocked the katana headed for her shell, and kicked out.

Raph and Don, wanting to keep their shell intact for the time being, watched the two fight.

Though they often wouldn't think of admitting it, Leo's only real match would be the white-banded turtle with the blades.

Though she let her emotions take over and strengthen her, and she often got herself into trouble protecting her own, she was naturally skilled.

The two broke apart, and Cat let out a deep breath.

"More?"

He nodded curtly, and she steeled herself before charging again.

She'd never use her chakra or dragon wings in training, since she could seriously hurt her brothers, but such things like her inhuman strength were more natural and harder to stop.

She jumped back, skidding to a halt, and turned to see Mikey holding a newspaper.

"Otouto?"

He didn't seem to hear her.

"Michelangelo." Leo called as Don and Raph ganged up on him.

"MICHELANGELO!"

Leo kicked both brothers away before jumping up.

When he came down, he cut the newspaper clean in half.

"HEY…I was reading that!"

"You're supposed to be training."

"Uh…I was doing mental exercises. Ya know, reading. Little symbols on paper. They make words. Words form sentences."

"Mikey, didn't you learn ANYTHING from your Battle Nexus rematch? We have to be ready! All the time!"

"Apparently not…" Cat noted, putting her blades on her belt.

"Ahhh…young Leonardo…Remember what Master Splinter says…"

Cat rolled her eyes, leaning her shell against the cage holding pigeons.

"Worry leads to fear, fear leads to anger, anger leads to worry…wait, hold on…"

She smacked her forehead.

"Mikey! First, it's 'worry leads to fear, fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering'. And second…THAT WAS YODA FROM STAR WARS!!"

Something crashed into the cage behind her, but she jumped away just in time.

Trying to pierce the dust that now filled the air, she narrowed her eyes.

"What the shell was that?" Raph questioned, sai drawn.

Two beings flew out of the dust, one with black wings and the other with white.

"…Whoa…" Cat muttered.

"So…who do we help?" Don questioned.

Cat pulled out her wings.

"…I'm not really sure…"

She heard the one with black wings say something.

"Well, THAT guy sure doesn't seem too friendly…" Mikey noted.

One through the other into a water tower, which began to leak and crack.

"Maybe we should take 'em both out."

Cat quirked an eye-ridge, looking between Leo and Raph.

"…Okay, THAT was just freaky…since when do YOU two agree on something like this?"

The one with silver wings was basically rammed into a stone wall as the other flew over it, and Cat's wings perked in sympathy.

"OW…That's GOTTA hurt…"

"Wait a minute! It can't be!"

Mikey was looking at a newspaper page.

"I don't believe it!"

"What?" Don asked.

"That guy with the wings! He's the Guardian Angel!"

"Who's the what?" Don asked as Mikey stood up.

"You really should read a paper once in a while. The Guardian Angel is all the rage! He's the new superhero in town!"

Cat rolled her eyes, scales bristling as her tail lashed at the air.

The other winged being landed on the roof, and she grew in her fangs.

Mikey almost ran forward, but her tail caught his ankle, tripping him, and she released him only to run forward.

Her wings were pinned to her shell as she tackled the sharp-winged being, and she opened her wings so she didn't fall.

"Cutting off people's wings isn't very nice!" She called down playfully, grinning.

She landed on the edge, and her brothers started to run up.

"No need to rush. I think everything's fine-."

A wing cut through the concrete, shaking her feet, and she steadied herself when she saw Mikey, the loveable oaf, fall.

"OTOUTO!!"

Diving down, she grabbed his wrists and pulled up.

"Damn it, Mikey!"

Strange black projectiles came down.

"Shell-!"

Pulling Mikey against her chest, she used her wings to shield them both.

Some stuck in her wings, and others scratched and cut her shell.

Hissing in pain, she started to fall back.

"KITTY!!"

'Can't…fall…not from…this height…'

Spreading her wings, she tried to catch air to 'float', when another being flew beneath her.

They caught her around the shell, and she tightened her wings around Mikey before looking up.

"Hey…thanks for the catch…"

More black projectiles came, cutting at his own wings, and they fell down into an alley.

Falling on a pile of trash, Cat rolled off uneasily.

"Ow…"

Mikey crawled out of the silvery-green scaled wing, and went to the 'Guardian Angels' side.

"You okay?"

"Yes…I think so…"

Cat sat up, and shook her wings.

Black metal clanged onto the concrete as it was shaken free of her scales.

'A few scratches…minor cuts…Nothing major…'

Something swooped down…

"OTOUTO, MOVE!!"

Cat pushed Mikey and the other being down before something crashed into her chest.

Her shell slammed into a brick wall, and she ground her teeth together to fight down the cry of pain.

"…Well…chivalry must have died a silent death…" She muttered, sitting up.

"Stay out of this, dragon."

"Don't throw my brother off a rooftop, asshole!"

Her tail lashed out, but he moved back and grabbed the headband off the 'Guardian Angel's forehead.

He was ready to finish him off when Leo and Raph jumped down, hitting him away.

Standing, Cat shook her wings and wrapped her tail around her leg.

'Ass…'

Their new enemy flew away, and Leo grabbed her arm before she could fly after him.

"Soon, imouto…"

They all turned to the downed winged man, and Cat folded her wings.

"What do we do with this guy?" Raph questioned.

Before she could suggest anything, he fell unconscious.

"…I say we take him to the lair…can't just leave him here…" She reasoned, picking him up.

"Heavy…Heavy-Heavy-Heavy-!!"

She nearly fell over from the weight before her brothers took up the other end.

"Whoa…thanks…"

They finally got him back, and settled him on the couch.

Cat pulled in her wings, grabbing 'The Alchemist' and sitting in a chair as she grabbed her IPod.

After a while, she went to sleep, and was shaken awake.

"Huh…? Wha…?"

Her eyes opened, and she sat up with a start.

Vision still blurred from sleep, she rubbed her eyes cutely.

"What did I miss?"

She looked up at Leo with a familiar innocent look from her childhood, still slightly confused.

"He woke up. You'd better calm down Mikey before he asks for an autograph."

Her mind sparked into working order, and she stood up.

"Right…"

Stretching soundly, she heard some joints pop.

Noticing Leo roll his eyes, she pouted.

"What? My joint need some tension release after all the crap I've been through…"

She went up to see him try to get up.

"You have damaged one of your wings. Do not move." Splinter warned.

"But…what of her wings?"

Cat smiled sheepishly.

"Mine are like steel. They're fine."

She saw Master Splinter manipulate pressure points, and he stood.

Suddenly, he panicked, remembering the weird diamond on the headband that had been taken from him.

"Well…That weird guy with the metal wings kinda…took it…"

"NO! It will spell the downfall of my people! With it, Mephos will spark a civil war! Countless innocent lives will perish!"

"Don't sweat it, Mr. Guardian Angel sir. We'll just kick tin-wings butt and get your thingie back!" Mikey stated.

"I can not ask you to help. I am already in your debt. And where I come from, that is no small thing."

"You saved Cat and Mikey. We take that pretty seriously, too." Leo replied.

"We'll help you, but we'll need to know everything."

"Very well…My name is Raptarr. I am an Avian."

"I knew it!" Don muttered.

"We were a race of beings created as slaves by the ancient Ilintians. Many eons ago, Ilintia was a world of wonders. Through the limitless power of their Crystal Sun, the Ilintians had built a utopian society far ahead of its time. But it had its dark side. We Avians were treated like animals by our cruel Ilintian task-masters. We were worked like slaves to build their paradise, then forced to live apart in a floating cage, where we would not befoul their precious city with our inferior presence."

Cat sat back, Yuki jumping onto her lap.

"Then, one day, there was war. The outside world had had enough of the Ilintian's iron-fisted rule. And so had we. The slaves of Ilintia banded together against our slave-masters. The rebellion raged. Irony of ironies, it was our bird cage prison that indeed saved us all. My ancestors managed to free it from its tether as Ilintia finally sank beneath the waves. Salvaging precious fragments of the Crystal Sun, the Avions combined the shards into a powerful energy core. Powerful enough to keep our floating area aloft forever. Their prison had been transformed into a home. My people were free. For centuries, we Avions kept us cut off from the outside world. But there were those who believed we were destined to rule over the surface world, not to hide from it. The leader of this movement was my best friend and comrade, Mephos. He lead his followers in a revolt and pitted Avion against Avion. Brother against brother."

Cat closed her eyes, sighing.

"The war ended with Mephos's capture…for his crimes against our people, the council sentenced him to the surface world for all time…his wings taken from him…"

'I'd hate to know how that feels…'

"I stayed on the surface world to watch Mephos, and to stop his attempts of returning to the Avion city. Living here, in your world…I have learned much…and have been able to help those in need. And I have stopped Mephos's plans several times…but now…with my diatin…he'll be able to find the city and enter it unopposed. The surface world is doomed."

Cat perked, Yuki's purr stopping.

"Imagine a floating city that can only be found with a crystal diatin. The immense power of the crystal energy core could make the Avion city an immense weapon of mass destruction! And soon it will be Mephos's to command!"

Don went off to do something as Cat stood up to feed Yuki.

After a while…

"DONNIE…Are we going or what?" Mikey whined.

Cat turned to see the others surrounding the purple-banded turtle's cloth-covered bench.

"Prepare to be amazed."

He pulled off the cloth, and Cat quirked an eye-ridge at the four items.

"…Thank the lord I probably won't need one…"

"Tank pack thingies?" Mikey questioned.

"What so 'mazin' 'bout that, hot shot?" Raph asked.

"Well, how kind of you to ask. Just watch…"

He picked one up.

"And be amazed."

Cat sat down on the floor.

'No test run is taking MY head off…'

Strapping it onto his shell, Don turned it on.

It actually looked kinda cool now…

Mikey said the PERFECT thing…

"COOL…"

"I've been working on an upgraded version of the Tech Pack that can fly." Don explained.

"But we still have a problem. Without a crystal diatin, we won't be able to find the city." Leo stated.

"But…your home IS an Ilintian outpost…" Raptarr stated, looking around.

"Surely, there MUST be Ilintian power crystals here."

"Um…we kinda used them all to help some of our friends…" Mikey answered.

"It's a REALLY long story…" Cat assured.

"What of the memory crystal?"

Confused looks all around…

"Let's see…"

Raptarr turned to a column.

"Here."

He traced a symbol, and it glowed green.

The glow spread across the columns and the brickwork.

It concentrated onto the very center of the ceiling.

"It is still here."

It came down, and it had crystals on it.

Raptarr flew over.

"These will do."

He held up a couple glowing crystals, and Cat put her hands on her blades.

"Whoa!"

"Where'd that come from?"

Raptarr flew back to the group.

"I thought I scanned the whole lair from top to bottom for crystals…How?" Don questioned.

"It's an Avion thing…"

They headed to the surface, and Cat pulled out her wings once on a rooftop.

"Your hospitality has been most generous. Thank you, Splinter."

Raptarr flew off.

"Be careful, my sons. Caterina, watch over them in the skies."

"Aye aye, captain."

"Piece of cake, sensei! These things are safe, right Donnie?" Mikey added.

Cat rolled her eyes.

"Uh…not exactly…"

Leo activated his own.

"Then this will have to be the test flight."

Raph went after him, and the others followed after putting on their helmets.

"This is gonna be a long flight…" Cat muttered, speeding like a dart to join them in the night air.

They sped up through the clouds.

"Remember the plan. Mephos's dire focus should be his own undoing."

"One question…"

Raptarr turned to look at the orange-banded turtle.

"Are we there yet?"

The crystal began glowing.

"Actually…yes…"

He flew faster.

"Wow…"

"You said it, Mikey…" Don muttered.

The city became visible in the white, and Cat shook her wings free of droplets of moisture.

"Now THAT'S a nice floating city…" She stated playfully, twirling in the air so the moisture from the clouds flew off and dried her skin and scales.

Her tail was wrapped around her leg tightly, the blade-like spikes nearly digging into her skin.

They got in rather easily, and were at the crystal chamber.

"Why don't we destroy a surface city? How about…Seattle?"

"I think not, Mephos."

The attention was brought to the group at the entrance, and her scales bristled.

"Remember us? Well, now WE'VE got wings!" Mikey stated.

They took off into the air.

"Destroy them!"

Avions flew up to face them, and she gave a feral grin before dive-bombing them.

Pulling her wings close, she twirled like a dart and hit four out of the air.

Spreading her wings, she flew back up, and two followed her.

'Stupid move…'

Her tail lashed out, hitting one upside the head before she stopped to hover.

"Thought it would be easier to take down a girl?"

Her claws grew in.

"Well, you were wrong…"

Pouncing on them, she brought both down to the ground.

Her brothers seemed to be having fun beating these guys up…

"TURTLE FROM ABOVE!!"

'…Why do you have to embarrass me, Mikey?'

Raptarr and Mephos fought as well, and Cat stood up from her unconscious prey.

"Whoa! We're out Avioning the Avions!" Mikey joked.

Cat rolled her eyes before flying to the large cube and grabbing the key crystal.

Pulling it free, she unfurled her wings, her tail moving into a simple knot that made it looked suspiciously like…

"…OHHHH…Kitty's flipping you off!" Mikey said playfully, grinning.

"You filthy surface creatures dare befoul the key crystal by touching it?! I will destroy you all!!"

Cat threw it up, and Mikey caught it.

"You really want it? It's right here. Hurry! I'm 'befouling it by touching it!' Lots of befouling going on over here!"

Mikey flew away before he got caught by Mephos, and out flew him strangely easily.

"You want it? Catch!"

Mikey threw it forward, flying up.

It took a few moments, but Mephos caught it, though now electricity escaped the key crystal and went to the crystal.

"What? No! I'm too close! Too close!"

Hearing him cry out in pain, Cat folded her wings and covered her ears.

Suddenly, the power died down, and Mephos was smoking from the power.

He was put into prison, wingless once again, and they stayed where they were.

"Thanks for your help. You saved our city." A council member stated.

"We owe you a great debt of gratitude." Raptarr added.

"I only have one request."

"Name it."

Mikey grinned, dropping a camera in Cat's hand.

"Someone take my picture with Raptarr!"

She rolled her eyes at his childishness.

"Why? Are you going to sell it to the weekly weird news?" Don questioned playfully as Mikey moved to the Avion's side.

"Nah. It's for my Superhero Team-Up scrapbook…Why? How much do you think they'd give me for it?"

"With ya in the picture? A nickel. Maybe less."

Cat grinned, a short laugh escaping her.

"Good one, Raph."

'I should've thought of that one…'


	77. Chapter 77

"Let your minds become pools of stillness, my children…Break the surface…explore the depths…for that is where the true wonders lie…"

"Let your minds become pools of stillness, my children…Break the surface…explore the depths…for that is where the true wonders lie…"

Cat relaxed into the meditation, lulled into a sense of security.

"…I wonder if you can combine burgers and nachos into one tasty treat!"

There went the peace…

"Mmmmm…Burchos…"

'…**He's an idiot…' **

'…I know…'

"Michelangelo!"

"…We've been at this fer hours…" Raph muttered.

"Yeah! I'm starving!" Mikey added.

"Why does it have to be all mind all the time?"

"Because you have not been using it enough." Splinter replied.

"Your behavior has become increasingly sloppy. A symptom of unfocused minds."

Cat opened her eyes, a defensive look entering her eyes.

"This lair is a reflection of those who live within it. What does its current state say about us?"

Cat quirked an eye-ridge as she looked around.

"…That four boys and a house equals one big mess?"

She saw the look she received.

"What? That's not MY stuff covering the floor! And MY room is perfectly clean!"

Mikey shook his head, replying for himself.

"We really like Casual Fridays?"

"Our safety depends on keeping our presence a secret. Yet you roam the city recklessly, as if no threat existed. And Leonardo…"

The blue-banded turtle looked up.

"You're behavior is most troubling of all. There is a new hardness to you, one that strays from the true path of Ninjitsu."

"I do what I have to, to protect this family."

Everyone looked at Leo in surprise.

"As do I. Back to meditation."

Cat watched the exchange worriedly.

She never remembered Leo ever talking back to Master Splinter…

She couldn't close her eyes, feeling like she needed to watch her family now more than she knew, and squeezed her hands together.

She heard the water bubble, and thought she saw Splinter wince.

'Sensei?'

When he stood up sharply, crying out in pain, she was beside him in a moment, catching him as fell back, unconscious.

"SENSEI!"

Don ran to his side.

"His breathing is shallow! He needs medical attention!"

"Get the Battle Shell ready, Don! Mikey, call April! Tell her we need a doctor NOW!" Leo ordered.

"An' what? Take a sixty-five pound talkin' rat ta the hospital?" Raph questioned as Cat worriedly put a hand over her sensei's heart.

'Come on, dad…come on…'

"Anybody know a veterinarian who can keep his mouth shut?" She heard Mikey call from near Don's computers.

"Uh…guys? Something's going funny in the-."

Water exploded from the pool, and Cat lowered her head at the sound.

The water flooded the lair, and Cat gasped and sputtered in surprise as it went over her head.

The water became a whirlpool, and she broke the surface and latched onto a wall.

"LEO?! RAPHIE?! DONNIE?! MIKEY?!"

She saw them climbing up to the second level, and she grew claws to climb up as well.

Leo and Raph pulled Master Splinter up as well, and she relaxed slightly.

'Wait…where's Yuki?!'

"SO…I think we've got a little clog in the drain…" Mikey stated.

"Yeah. We got that part." Raph replied.

"We'll have to ride the current out. I hope the whole system isn't like this." Don informed.

"We'll swim you out, master. Can you hold your breath?"

"…Yes…" Splinter replied weakly.

Leo and Raph jumped in first with Splinter, when meows reached Mikey and Cat's ears.

"YUKI!!"

"KLUNK!!"

Both jumped in without a second thought, and Don tried to call them back.

"YUKI!!"

"KLUNK!!"

They dove down to reach the kittens as they were pulled under, and Cat was sure she heard Don jump in as well.

Objects fell into the water, smacking into her shell.

One heavy item hit Mikey unconscious, and her and Don swam him to the surface.

"Mikey?!"

"Otouto?!"

"Cat, we've got to get out of here!"

"Got it!"

They went under, and swam out of the lairs front door.

Cat felt herself losing air, but tried to swim faster.

She was too weak when Don went limp along with Mikey, and they started sinking…

'No…'

--

Her eyes opened blearily, and she saw a familiar set of legs.

She looked up, coughing slightly.

"M-Mikey…D-Donnie…"

"A little water-logged, but otherwise 'kay." Raph reassured.

"Kl-Klunk…I couldn't save him…"

Cat nearly curled in on herself.

"Y-Yuki…"

"No one coulda gotten outta that crazy whirlpool, guys…"

Cat nodded slightly.

"This whole things gotta be some kinda freak accident." Raph assured.

"No accident…"

They turned to Master Splinter.

"My children, we are under attack…we must seek a safer haven…"

They went to a ladder, and started climbing up.

Leo had April on his Shell Cell, and assuring her that they were almost at the surface.

Unfortunately, someone was waiting for them at the surface…

Cat growled, eyes flashing red as her claws and fangs grew in.

Spotlights from helicopters nearly blinded her, and the voices made her ears ring.

The news and cameras made her back up slightly, hands on her blades.

"What the shell is going on?" Mikey questioned.

"How'd they even know we'd be here?" Don added.

"Because this is right where I wanted you to be…"

Cat whirled around.

"Bishop." She growled.

"Say hello to the world. The whole wide world."

It really hit her.

'Oh my God…'

"This isn't like you, Bishop. I thought you black ops liked to stick to the shadows." Leo stated.

"Extreme cases call for extreme measures. The world is now my ally. There's nowhere you can hide where a responsible citizen won't rat you out."

He chuckled.

"Pardon the expression. And now, let's get down to business."

Soldiers ran in, and Cat jumped up, doing a hurricane kick.

She heard a whistle, and turned.

"This way! Into the alley!"

They ran as bullets rang through the air.

Chakra shielded them slightly, Cat behind the others so that no one got hit.

They ran into the van, Casey ushering them in.

They peeled out fast as Cat sat down in a corner, trying to keep stable and her mind clear.

She tuned out the words…

Everything was so LOUD…

Explosions hit her, rocking the van.

When Leo jumped out, she sat up.

"ANIKI!!"

A claw went through the roof, and Cat pushed her brothers out of the way.

The helicopter tried to pull them up, and she stood up.

"Darn!"

A car shot up, hitting the helicopter and making it explode.

Leo landed behind the van, safe.

He came back in, and Raph crossed her arms.

"…Show off…"

Driving off, she leaned back.

They eventually stopped once no one was following them.

"And still they search for us…" Splinter stated, looking at the helicopters.

"They have every bridge covered. We'll never make it to the barn house." Don informed.

"We'll have to hide in the city. I'll call Angel and see if she has any-."

Leo opened his Shell Cell, and the noise that came out made Cat cry out and fall backwards.

"KITTEN!!"

The noise died, and bullets rained on the van.

Pulling out again, the tires screeched.

"What exactly just happened?" Mikey asked.

"They're tracking us through the Shell Cell. They must have locked on to its signature." Don explained.

April swerved, dodging, and a helicopter came down to near street level to chase them.

"April, let us out of the van!!" Leo ordered.

"WHAT!?" Both Cat and April questioned at once.

"There's a tunnel ahead! We'll get out and take the Shell Cell with us! You double-back while we lead the copters away!"

"Nuh uh! No way!"

"We ain't leavin' ya guys behind!" Casey agreed.

"Either they get some of us or they get all of us." Don reasoned.

"But then who'd call in the rescue posse?" Mikey asked.

The van stopped, and they jumped out.

"Be careful, guys." April warned.

"Take care of yourselves. Now go!" Cat ordered.

The van sped off, and Splinter seemed ready to say something when explosives hit the van.

It flew into the air, exploding, and her heart sank.

"No…No!"

"This can't be happenin'!"

"You may speak truer than you know, Raphael. We must go." Splinter stated.

"But, sensei-!" Raph objected as Splinter opened a grate.

"We must go NOW."

Cat followed hesitantly, and they closed the grate after them.

They reached the harbor, and sat in a dark alley.

Cat sat down, curled up in a corner with her face buried against her knees.

Her mind was a swirl of sound and light and thoughts that bounced against her ears and made her want to scream.

She couldn't even hear her brothers and father…

What was going on with her?!

An echo of a voice made her head snap up.

'No…i-it can't be…'

She looked up sharply, and saw the Shredder come out of some dust at the mouth of the alley.

"How many times do we have to get rid of this guy?" Mikey questioned.

Cat stood up, head ringing, as she pulled out her blades.

"Did you think my loyal servants would abandon me? You and the cursed Utroms thought you could send me to my doom! Instead, you have sealed yours!"

Cat sniffed the air, and stepped back.

'What?'

Leo jumped to fight, and had one katana ripped out of his grasp.

The others ran in, and Cat skidded to a halt when Splinter called for them not to.

"What? Sensei-."

"Come, my daughter."

Still confused, she followed him and took a meditative position in the shadows.

Following his example, she closed her eyes and sunk into the meditative trance she was so used to.

The sounds of fighting and yells and the own chaos of her brain began to quiet and trickle down to a quiet stream…

Something crashed, and she felt her heart nearly crack.

'RAPH!!'

Her eyes snapped open as the whir of helicopters hit her.

She stood up as Bishop came.

"NO!!"

Chakra swirled around her feet.

"NO ONE touches my brothers!"

"And no one touches my sons! Not as long as there is breath in this body!"

"I do not think you appreciate the forces I have united against you." Shredder stated, earning a snarl from the nearly red-eyed turtle.

She saw the Foot Elite, Foot Mechs, Purple Dragons, Hun, Karai, Stockman…

"This should be entertaining." Bishop mused.

Cat's skin rippled to scales as a tingle raced down her shell and spine.

"You can not hope to defeat me. The powers aligned against you are too great, even you must see that now."

"I see many things clearly now…You have sought to cloud our senses with pain and loss and anguish…but there is something in the hollowness of its sounds…an emptiness of its scent…a shallowness of its soul…"

Cat closed her eyes.

"That tells me that these days events are not as they seem!"

"You speak as a fool!"

"Perhaps. But I am not speaking to you."

Splinter sat down in a meditative positions, and Cat followed his example.

"We wait for our true foes to reveal themselves."

The Shredder raised his gauntlet.

"You can not touch me."

Cat closed her eyes, sinking in deeper, and the gauntlet fazed through and he disappeared, as did everything else.

She wasn't hurt anymore…

'Guys! Guys, come on! You're not hurt! Everything is okay! We're not beaten!'

"Master Splinter? Cat?"

They were in a strange glowing world with the four boys, and five strange presences surrounded them.

"These two are more powerful than we expected…"

The smoke became the five elementals from the Shredder's fortress.

"No matter. They are but two to our five."

They fired, and Cat jumped up, dodging.

"This has been nothing but an astral dream!" Cat growled.

"It was made by an enemy!"

The others ran to join them to face the elementals.

"No! They attack our minds! We must respond in kind! Focus yourselves in meditation!" Splinter ordered.

Cat obeyed reluctantly, closing her eyes tight and relaxing.

She'd learned to detach herself long ago in her practice, since meditating with four brothers often made it difficult.

"What is it with ya an' meditation?! Come on!! We gotta save 'em!!" Raph retorted.

"Raph, do what he says!!" Leo ordered.

Sitting in the spots they had taken at their own home, they ignored the wind and the power flowing around them like wind.

"Concentrate! You have power as great as theirs! You need only to find it! Channel it!"

The six began to glow, making a strange field around them.

"Good, my children. Now focus. Strike back."

Energy blasted through the strange sphere, breaking apart the five elementals with a cry.

They disintegrated, and they were back at the lair.

"What the shell was that?" Raph questioned.

"Back in the lair? But-? How is it-?"

Don seemed confused…

"We have not left the lair all evening. What we experienced tonight was the work of dark magic. An attempt to destroy us from the inside out."

"It's not that I don't believe you, master…but…" Don replied, still confused.

"I understand, Donatello. If it will ease your mind, you should call April and Casey."

Don went to do just that, and Cat perked when she heard meows and purrs.

"Klunk!! You're okay!!" Mikey cheered, running to embrace the orange feline.

"YUKI!! Oh, my little baby!! I was so worried!!"

Cat cradled her kitten in her arms, hugging her close.

She stood, feeling the need to stretch her legs, and scratched the kitten's little ears as she drowned out all other sounds.

The maelstrom of her mind was gone, and she loved the peace.

'Those elemental things messed with my senses? Or did that just happen because they were there?'

She understood what was going on.

'We need to be on guard…to fight…I won't let them trick me again…'

She smiled slightly as Yuki cuddled against her, purring.

'…I can't lose everything I hold dear…I don't think I could take it…'


	78. Chapter 78

Cat sat back, seeing Mikey acting like an idiot…

Cat sat back, seeing Mikey acting like an idiot…

'Then again, what else is new?'

'**Got THAT right…' **

"Will you guys knock it off? There are secret service everywhere! We never should've come here…"

"Oh come on, Leo. The president is only in town one day. This is an important speech. It could determine the future of space exploration for years to come." Don reasoned.

"Yeah…AND its at the United Nations, AND that's the president of the United States. We might as well walk into a lab and ASK to be dissected."

"Calm down, Leo." Cat soothed, trying to remain calm.

"Just think 'a it as stealth trainin'. After all, the secret service are supposed ta be the best 'a the best…I should be a secret service agent…"

Cat rolled her eyes at the red-banded turtle.

"Yeah, I heard they were looking for short green agents. They really blend in." Mikey joked.

SMACK!!

"OW!! HEY…"

"You SO asked for that one…" Cat stated, grinning.

"Look! There he is!"

Everyone moved to kneel around Don, seeing the president step out of his limo and up to a podium.

As the president began to speak, a strange sound seemed to drown him out, and everyone looked up.

A huge UFO materialized above them, hovering over a building.

"Well…I said it would be historic…" Don stated.

Four more appeared as well, as if turning off cloaking devices, then even more filled the sky.

Cat quirked an eye-ridge in slight surprise.

"Hey, look. An alien invasion. You don't see THAT every day…oh, wait. Yeah we do."

"It looks like something out of an old movie." Don mused.

"They're not Triceraton or Federation ships, or even Utrom. Their something new."

"Then hopefully friendly." Mikey added.

The largest seemed to be charging up something, and the sound made her skin ripple to scales and cover her ringing ears.

"Why does everything have to be so LOUD?"

The president got into his limo again, and they started driving off to safety when strange little devices were blasted out.

Whatever they may have looked like, they ended up being aliens of some sort.

Thing was, Cat was sure they pulled out TRICERATON blasters…

"So much for friendly…"

Leo turned to head off.

"Yo, Leo! Where ya goin'?" Raph questioned, stopping the blue-banded turtle.

"Don't ya think we need a plan?"

"We take out every alien we see. THAT'S the plan."

"Come on!" Don called as him and Mikey jumped to an alley below.

Cat shook her head slightly.

"Not a very realistic plan, is it?"

"No…but it's the best we got…"

She nodded slightly, and both ran to join up with their brothers.

They saw the presidents limo crash, and Mikey opened the door to see him unconscious.

"Think we can keep him?"

"I don't have time fer wackin' ya, Mikey. Move!"

"Just grab him and lets get out of here!" Don agreed.

"Um…that may be harder than it looks…" Cat muttered.

The aliens at the mouth of the alley seemed…unhappy…

She pulled out her blades, getting into a defensive position.

Lasers were fired, and Cat pulled up a disk of chakra, using it to block their attempts.

"Move!"

The others jumped behind the limo as a shield, but Leo jumped in to cut the lasers off.

"Something's not right here! Those aliens are using Federation and Triceraton weapons!" Don informed.

"All the more reason ta go in! Come on!" Raph ordered.

Cat ducked down, throwing the disk of electricity.

It smacked into a couple, shocking them thoroughly.

She jumped back before they exploded in blue goop, doing some hand signs.

"Shadow Clone jutsu!"

The four clones spread out to fight, and Cat did some hand signs.

"Lightning Blast jutsu!"

Five more seemed to explode, and some of the gunk hit her.

"…EW…"

Her brothers seemed to be doing well, with much the same results…

Exploding blue gunk…

Once all of the aliens were down, Cat tried to wipe the gunk off.

"…EWW…This is almost as bad as spider guts…"

"…They are…"

Cat froze, and Raph smacked Mikey upside the head.

"OW!!"

"He's just kiddin', Kitten."

"…Thank the lord…"

"One things fer sure, they don't make aliens like they used ta."

"Can I freak out now?" Mikey questioned.

"Don, what's going on here?" Leo asked.

Don pulled out a test tube, and took some of the goop.

"…EW…"

"Don't be such a girl, Cat…"

"I AM a girl!"

Something came out of the goop, and Don picked it up.

"What on Earth…? I think this is a transmitter."

Cat perked when she heard tires squeal and screech, and concentrated.

"Looks like the army decided to come for their president…"

They climbed up a wall, safely out of sight, as the army came into the alley they'd been occupying.

"What about the president? He's still out cold in the back of the limo?" Don reminded.

"Hey, the army has him now. They can take care of him, right?" Mikey replied.

A familiar sound hit their ears, and they looked up to see a UFO.

It seemed to start using a tractor beam and lifted up the limo.

They got onto the roof as the bottom opened and seemed to eat the limo and the dumpster.

"…This is bad…" Cat muttered.

"What was yer first clue? Aliens abductin' the president?"

"…No…That was my fourth…"

Don pulled on his heat-vision goggles.

"Guys, these readings are really weird…When I shift through the electromagnetic spectrum, it reveals that all of those space ships aren't real!"

Cat's eyes widened.

'…You can't be serious…'

"The ships are fake! Illusions."

"Uh…what just took the president then?" Mikey asked.

"Well…that one's real." Don replied, pointing one out.

"But the others aren't. Someone's trying to make everybody THINK an invasion is going on. Fake aliens…fake ships…"

Don rummaged through his 'Bag 'a Tricks'.

He pulled out the transmitter.

He fiddled with something, and the other four turtles shared curious looks.

"Don, what are you doing? We have to go! The president!" Mikey stated.

"I knew it! Someone's sending a signal to this thing! Someone was controlling those aliens!" Don stated.

"Can you track the signal?" Leo questioned.

"Already done. We follow this signal, we find whoever's behind this."

"Oh, I HATE this techno crud! Just show me what ta hit!" Raph exclaimed.

They went after the signal, and ran across the rooftops parallel to a high-tech truck.

"There's our target!" Don stated.

"Anything look familiar to anyone?"

"That's one of Bishop's vehicles." Cat stated, tone dark.

"Here we go!"

They jumped onto the van.

Raph swung down to kick the driver in the head, and the whole thing swerved.

It crashed into some crates, and Cat fell forward.

"…Thanks, Raph…I needed to face plant on the roof of a crazy guys van…"

The door opened, and Raph pounced on Bishop.

Someone drew a gun, and a savage snarl was the man's only warning before Cat pounced on him as well, fangs bared and claws digging into his shoulders.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you…"

She flipped onto her feet, throwing his body over her and into a couple more.

Leo jumped in to fight, katana drawn, and Cat skidded back.

These guys were easy enough to beat, and one even ran out in fear at the sight of their easy victory.

"Attention, people of the planet Earth! The alien threat has ended!" Mikey joked, sounding like a stupid newsreporter as him and Don appeared at the empty back door.

"We took out the satellite, and 'POOF'. No more alien ships."

"You did WHAT?!"

Bishop pushed Cat out of the way, and she growled as he headed for the back of the van.

He even pushed MIKEY to the ground, and Cat jumped out to help him up.

"They were controlled via satellite, you fool!"

The saucer headed for them.

Cat ground her teeth.

"You guys jump!"

"What 'bout ya?" Raph asked.

"You guys just go!"

She pulled out her wings, electricity crackling in the air.

"I'll be fine…"

"NO!"

Raph grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer.

"We ain't leavin' ya ta stop a UFO!"

Before she could retort, he pulled her into the water with him and the others.

Pulling her wings in, she tried to regain her bearings when the water trembled with an explosion.

The red-banded turtle wrapped his arms around her, making sure she wouldn't try to swim away.

They surfaced, seeing the saucer sticking out of the ground.

"Yeah…that might've been a mistake…" Don admitted.

"Ya think?"

They swam towards it, and forced a door open.

"I vote Don goes in first." Raph stated.

Cat rolled her eyes, stepping in.

"I've never seen anything like this before…" Don muttered.

"It's not a warship…not like the Triceraton or Federation ships…Man, Bishop is FULL of surprises…"

Cat stopped, shocked.

"Um…why aren't the slime brothers moving?" Mikey asked, hiding behind her shell.

"Maybe they're on a union break or somethin'…" Raph stated.

"I think when the satellite went down, they just didn't have any instructions. Kinda like robots." Don informed.

"Very astute, Donatello."

They turned to see Bishop walk in, wearing a new suit.

"Why, Bishop? All these games, for what?" Leo demanded.

"For the good of all mankind. Haven't you heard? I'm making the world a safer place. And on that note…"

He headed for something in the center of the room.

"I am to save the president."

"Are ya THAT whacked in the head? The only place YER goin' is Painville!" Raph stated.

"I don't think so. My sleeping pets are fully rested, and are in need of new playmates."

He pressed a button, and the aliens basically roared to life.

"Play nice, boys. I've got a job to do."

Bishop headed out another exit.

"It's slime time again!" Mikey whined, twirling his 'chucks.

"Raph, you and Don follow Bishop! He'll lead you right to the president! The rest of us will catch up!" Leo ordered.

The two turtles ran out.

"Wait! THEY get to leave, but I have to stay and fight aliens that pop like giant zits?!" Mikey whined.

"Suck it up!!" Cat snapped, jumping up and pouncing on one.

It exploded beneath her, and she turned to see her two brothers were surrounded.

"Leo, right now, I think your plan stinks!"

They fought a couple, and they exploded before they started running after the others.

"Go! GO!" Mikey urged.

Leo made another pop, and they ran past Don and Raph.

"What the shell are ya guys doin'?"

"RUNNING!" Cat called back, Don already trying to keep up with them.

"RAPHIE, COME ON!!"

"AW…But I like it when they go pop!!"

"JUST MOVE IT!!"

Mikey tackled one through a door, and it popped before the door fell in.

Cat ran in after him, seeing the aliens standing over the president of the United States, who was strapped to a dissection table.

"We are SO busted…" Mikey muttered.

"We'll worry about that later! Right now, we have to get him out of here!" Leo replied.

He went to cut the president free when another door was blasted open and soldiers came in, Bishop in the lead.

"Open fire!"

The aliens around the table were shot and exploded, and Cat shielded her eyes.

"…I'm never going to get used to that…"

The shots still rained, and they dove for cover.

"This is messed up! We can't let Bishop take the president, can we?"

"If Bishop wanted to hurt him, he would've done it already." Don reasoned.

"There's more going on then we know." Leo stated.

"Come on. We have to get out of here."

They ran out the door, bullets whining off metal.

They got back to the lair, and the first thing Cat did was take five showers.

She came out of the shower, one towel around her chest and her skin still slick, and saw the news.

"This was about money? I had to take five showers because of money? Why I oughtta-!"

She saw the picture that came up next, and froze.

"…I'm gonna kill him…I'm gonna kill him!"

'I really, REALLY will…'

'**You go, sister!' **


	79. Chapter 79

Meditating was something that could always clear her head, and Cat felt something stir in her

I couldn't help it! I LOVE 'The Golden Compass' and its trilogy! And the idea wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it! I hope you don't mind…;…

--

Meditating was something that could always clear her head, and Cat felt something stir in her.

'What was that?'

'**It is your true self?'**

'What's that supposed to mean?'

'**You'll have to find that out for yourself…'**

Violet eyes opened to the candlelight, and she sighed.

Lying back down on her shell, she looked at the ceiling.

"My true self…what's that supposed to mean? I AM my true self, aren't I?" She muttered to herself.

"Or does she mean that the part I've forgotten of myself is my true self? Or the part of myself of hidden from everyone else?"

Yuki jumped onto her stomach, and curled up with a purr.

"Hey, baby…"

Sitting up, she scooped up the kitten and walked out of her room after blowing out the candles.

She headed for the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of Gatorade and the milk.

Putting some milk in a bowl and putting it on the floor, she twisted off the cap to the energy drink.

She heard the TV turn on, and took a swig before heading towards it.

"I say we go out an' clip the dragons wings!"

"Do you know how much that would hurt?" She joked, leaning on the back of the couch.

"But I'm with you on this one, Case. How bad was it this time?"

"They stole from Neotech." Don replied.

"…Isn't that the place that makes the tech that you drool over?" She asked nonchalantly, taking another sip of Gatorade as Yuki jumped onto her shoulder, meowing cutely.

"Yeah…"

"Let's go stomp us some Dragoons!" Raph stated.

Cat rolled her eyes.

'And here I was hoping to figure out the crap about my 'true self'…'

--

Leo, Raph and Casey came back from…interrogating…and they all waited in an alley to catch the Purple Dragons in the act.

"That's Hun's hide out?" Casey asked.

"If that's Hun's new HQ, then he's hiding out…"

"Right out in the open." Leo finished for the purple-banded turtle.

"Something he learned from his master, the Shredder…" Cat muttered.

Casey swiped Mikey's binoculars, and Cat leaned back on the heels of her feet.

"…I got somethin' 'ere…No…Hun…no good, no neck nimrod."

Cat smiled slightly.

"I see someone still hates him as much as I do…"

Trucks started leaving, and Cat crouched down to hide from the sweeping headlights.

"Looks like they're gearing up for another mission." Leo noted.

"Don, Mikey, you guys follow the trucks in the Battle Shell. Raph, Casey, you're with me."

"Hey! What about me?"

Leo hesitated.

"…Cat, maybe it would be best if you sat this one out…"

"Do I look like I have cancer or something? I can do this!"

"Your temper could endanger the whole thing. Just…go to April's or something."

Cat glared, but rather than prove him right, turned around and walked off.

"…Leo…she SO dissed you…"

--

"Where does he get off saying I can't do something?! I'm just as capable as they are!! If he wasn't my brother, I'd-!!"

She threw a kunai, hitting a dummy and pinning it to a column.

"My daughter…"

Breathing deeply, she turned to her father.

"You are proud, something I have taught you so you could hold yourself in the world, but you shouldn't allow it to be hurt so easily."

"I can't help it…I mean…I feel like I can do anything, but it's like no one else feels like that anymore…"

"They see that your temper is becoming harder to control. Going against Hun would only make it worse."

Cat sighed, flopping down on the couch.

"…I know…but it still hurts that they can't trust me…"

Master Splinter put a hand on her forehead.

"…What is troubling you, my child?"

"…Well…you know how I was meditating earlier? I kinda…I don't know…"

She closed her eyes, trying to find the words to explain.

"It's like there was something…NEW there…it wasn't the darkness and it wasn't me…it was…like it was CONNECTED to me…but it was still…separate…"

"…I may know what it is…"

Splinter went to a meditation mat, lighting a couple candles.

"Come, my child."

A bit curious, she got into a meditative stance across from him.

"I believe your new habit of meditation has awakened something in you that you need to bring out. Just focus, my daughter."

Closing her eyes, she let out a deep breath and relaxed her muscles.

Everything seemed to disappear, and she sunk into the white of her own mind.

A shadow floated around her, dark as night, but it didn't touch her skin, though she felt its cold heat.

"Look within yourself…Find what was not there before…"

Her father's voice echoed, though there were no walls, and she landed on a floor that wasn't there.

"Find something that wasn't there before…" She muttered.

"That would be easier if I knew what that something WAS…"

Looking around, her eyes seemed to pierce some of the white, showing screens that showed memories of her childhood or other such things.

She heard something akin to a growl, and turned.

Smoldering violet eyes met her through what seemed like mist now, and she flinched back.

'Wait…What am I scared of?'

She straightened, and took a step forward.

"Who are you?"

"Kyana…"

Her skin suddenly felt…warm…

"Kyana…what exactly ARE you, though?"

Out of the white came what looked like a large white tiger, the black stripes standing out.

"…Whoa…Why is there a tiger in my head?"

"I am not a normal tiger…"

Her eye widened when the tiger morphed into an eagle and then a swift, flying up to the turtle.

Cat unconsciously held out her hand, palm up, and the strange bird landed there.

The dark shadow receded, only swirling around her feet now.

"I am a part of you, Cat…I am your heart…" The swift chirped.

"I don't think I get it…"

"Everyone has someone like me. A heretsu. Once I leave your sanctuary, I will change between animals that describe your emotions. Your true emotions."

"…Really…That's kinda cool…"

Cat smiled slightly.

"My brothers will freak…"

"I expected that. We can share communication through thoughts."

"…This is awesome…"

"My daughter…if you have found it, bring it up with you…" Her father's voice echoed.

"Right…Come on, Kyana."

Cat closed her eyes, and felt like she was swimming up through water.

When she broke the surface, she let out a breath as she felt something pull out of her chest in a light that came through her closed lids.

When it died, she opened her eyes and saw a little wolf-dog pup on her lap.

"…Wow…"

"Just as I thought…"

She looked up at Splinter.

"You are very lucky to have found your heretsu…No one has done so in many millennia…"

"…That's a LONG time…" She muttered, and Kyana became a martin before jumping onto her shoulder.

Cat leaned back on her hands.

"How many things are going to happen to one girl? I mean, I have chakra, I'm half dragon, and now this? Wasn't it bad enough that I was a mutant turtle?"

"Well…you could mutate into a horrible monster." Kyana stated jokingly.

"…Yeah, thanks…That makes me feel MUCH better, Kyana…"

"I thought it might."

Yuki came up, looking curiously at the heretsu.

Kyana became a little grey kitten and jumped down to get to know the little once-stray.

Even Klunk came to know the strange newcomer.

"…What am I going to tell them?"

Master Splinter already knew who she meant.

"They will understand, no matter what you say."

She nodded slightly, standing up.

As if pulled, Kyana jumped into her arms.

Smiling slightly, she headed for her room.

'Well…I guess this won't be SO bad…'


	80. Chapter 80

"208…209…210…"

"208…209…210…"

Kyana, a hawk on a beam above her body, looked down as Cat did one-armed pull-ups, constantly switching arms.

With her great strength, two-armed pull-ups didn't seem to cut it anymore, even when they were using beams of a construction sight to do it.

The ringing of a Shell Cell caught everyone's attention, and Cat stopped for a moment to check her own.

"It's not me."

"Not mine, either." Raph stated.

"Not mine." Don added.

"Don't stop." Leo ordered.

"Mikey, you left your Shell Cell on."

"I'm sorry Mr. I'm Gonna Pop You Off Leonardo, but I didn't know we'd be doing a pull-up marathon!"

SMACK!!

"OW!!"

"Whoa! Don, don't smack Mikey. That's MY job!"

SMACK!!

"OW!!"

"Sorry, Raphie, but it's MINE!"

SMACK!!

"OW!! HEY, do I look like a piñata?"

"Just answer your phone." Don retorted.

Mikey did so, and Kyana became a snow leopard, lying down comfortably on the beam, tail swinging off the side lazily.

Once he closed his Shell Cell, Cat pulled herself up.

"Who was it, otouto?"

"Nobody."

Cat smiled, pulling up and flipping to land on the top of the beam.

"Then what are we waiting for? Come on, Kyana."

The heretsu became a swift, and followed them until they reached the sewers once more.

As they moved through the shadows to where Mikey said they'd meet their old friend, Kyana became a black panther.

They came out of the sewers and hid in an alley beside a run-down building.

"Are ya sure this is the right place?" Raph questioned.

A body busted through the wood covering the door, and Nobody ran after him as he tried to run.

He pulled out a Triceraton blaster, and Nobody hid in an alley to shield himself.

"Come on! He's getting away!" Mikey yelled, and they started running.

Kyana stopped, becoming a wildcat, when a metal cable crossed the turtle's path.

"Let him go." Nobody ordered.

"You're slipping, Nobody. That kid almost took you out." Leo noted.

"I told him to."

They followed him down the alley.

"He's my informant. Goes by the name X-Ray. That performance you witnessed was just in case anybody was watching."

'Well, they're both good actors…'

"X-Ray has infiltrated a dangerous new gang called the Turks, but they're beginning to get suspicious."

Nobody shot a weird grappling shot at a building.

"Follow me."

He flew through the air, and Cat rolled her eyes as the five ran to climb the wall, Kyana flying ahead as an osprey.

"'Follow him' he says…" Mikey muttered.

They landed on the roof, seeing Nobody in the shadows.

"X-Ray says the Turks are planning on visiting an old man who witnessed their leader trying to wipe out a gang member he thought was an informant. They plan to 'take care' of the old man…tonight. If we can stop them, I think we can shut down the whole gang."

Nobody hid behind a building, and had apparently been changing, since he came back out in a police uniform.

"I know some of these kids. Most of them aren't half-bad. It's their leader, this…Jenko…I have a plan, but I need extra eyes and ears to cover all the angles. Eyes and ears I can trust."

"A stake-out! COOL! Doughnuts, and endless pots of cold coffee?" Mikey asked excitedly.

"Something like that…I'm going to check on the old man. He lives right downstairs, so stay here. I'll be back."

He went in through the door on the roof, and Cat sat back, Kyana landing on her shoulder.

'Well…how bad could this be?'

--

Cat and Raph were in an alley on their Shell Cycles, waiting for the signal.

'How long does it take to beat up some gangsters?'

Cheetah Kyana purred soothingly, still tense and ready to take off.

Leo's voice sounded in their helmets.

"Raph! Cat!"

"Already on it." Raph replied as the white car sped by the mouth of the alley.

The Shell Cycle's roared to life, and they flew out of the alley and after the remaining Turk.

Kyana kept up rather well, but still jumped onto the back as an ocelot, gripping the seat with her claws.

The car swerved, hitting a dumpster before stopping in front of a somewhat…decorated warehouse-like building.

They sped beside the Battle Shell.

"That's it up ahead. You two ready to go?" Leo's voice said through their helmets.

"Open the door and let us in." Cat replied as the two got behind the Battle Shell.

Nobody jumped off the top of the Battle Shell before it hit the large door, and the two Shell Cycles sped in right after it.

Leo got out of the Battle Shell before they busted through to the 'Inner Sanctum', and Kyana jumped to the ground as a clouded leopard.

"I don't know what you freaks are supposed to be, but drop the steel and make like a statue, or the stool pigeon gets perforated."

Cat quirked an eye-ridge.

"And I thought he was pretty stupid until he used a four-syllable word…"

Looking around, she saw gang members on the second level, all with Triceraton blasters, just like their little 'leader'.

"Smoke these-! …Whatever…Smoke them!"

Lasers were fired, and Cat jumped off her Shell Cycle, pushing it under a table.

Making a disk of chakra, she made some lasers ricochet back as Kyana roared, canines looking menacing.

Nobody appeared as Raph drove his Shell Cycle up some stairs, and Cat back-flipped when the leader tried to shoot her.

"Hey! That wasn't very nice!" She joked.

Everything seemed to be going well now, at least, so she threw a shuriken at a member's blaster.

It cut straight through, making it useless.

"You wanna try that again?" She dared, and Kyana almost roared beside her.

Nobody managed to save X-Ray, who got away relatively safely.

The beaten down gangsters only rose when their leader yelled for them to 'waste' Nobody, and the hero turned calmly.

"Listen to me! All of you! If you follow this punk Jenko, all you're going to have is a short life of fear and violence that ends with a toe-tag at the city morgue. You know it's true. I can see it in your eyes. But it's not too late. You can choose a different future. You can walk away. Just walk away."

The kids were actually listening, comprehending, understanding how important this decision was.

"What are you waiting for?! Waste him!!" Jenko ordered.

They all hesitated, and one bravely dropped his weapon and member jacket.

He started walking away, and others followed his example.

Kyana became a lynx, purring against Cat's leg.

"It's over, Jenko. Your Turks have wised up. You're on your own." Nobody stated.

"Yeah? Well, I don't need those bunch of losers anyway!"

He stopped next to a large crate, and Kyana's purr abruptly stopped.

"You're all going down, 'cause I'm Jenko!"

He pulled out what looked like a rocket launcher, and Cat felt chakra escape her skin as a defensive reaction.

"Say hello to my little friend!"

The gangsters tried to run, and Cat crouched, Kyana hissing beside her.

"Ha! Run you bunch of losers!"

He turned to Nobody.

"Looks like the only thing between you and my rocket is your fancy underwear!"

The rocket was fired, and it followed the hero as he ran.

He jumped up, and the rocket blew up on the floor, but the dust made it impossible to see if he was okay.

"So much for the big guy! Now for the help!"

He fired one at them, but they jumped out of the way and it hit above the door.

"A little wide..."

Cat jumped to her feet, and grabbed Kyana before going to the exit with her brothers.

"We've got injured! Let's get him outside!" Leo ordered, lifting the boy.

The smoke got pretty thick, but they made it out okay, and settled the guy against a wall.

"I hope Nobody's okay…" She muttered, and Kyana jumped onto her shoulder as a martin.

They watched the fire be put out from the rooftop across the street, and Nobody joined them.

"Well that's that…" Raph muttered.

"I think we did some real good here today. Without Jenko, those kids stand a real chance at a good life."

Cat nodded.

"You're right…some people just can't decide things for themselves sometimes…"

"I'd still like to know who hooked Jenko up with that mini arsenal." Leo stated.

"So would I…" Nobody agreed.

Kyana turned as Don and Mikey rejoined them, but…

"Mikey, ya can lose the dress now."

"Why? Do I look fat in this? Tell the truth now. I can take it."

Don rolled his eyes.

"I'm just glad Mikey stopped referring to me as his husband."

Cat smiled.

"That's Mikey for you…"

'And it's a good thing I convinced him to do that instead of me…'


	81. Chapter 81

"Ah, Halloween…The best day of the year to be a mutant turtle…"

"Ah, Halloween…The best day of the year to be a mutant turtle…"

Cat sat contently on the windowsill, one knee bent to support her chin and the other hanging off onto the carpet.

Kyana was a black panther, napping peacefully on the floor by the turtle's feet.

Mikey, Raph and Don seemed to be enjoying themselves making Jack-O-Lanterns, and Leo was doing some katas.

April stepped out in her cat costume for the party she and Casey were going to.

"Well, guys. What do you think?"

"Wow."

"Cool."

"Looking good."

Cat smiled slightly at her friend.

"I'd say that gives you an eight out of ten."

Mikey grinned.

"MAN! I just LOVE Halloween! It's the one day where a turtle can walk around and be a turtle!"

Someone knocked on the door, and April opened it to reveal Casey.

"Hi, Casey."

"Whoa! I'm diggin' the Halloween duds, April."

"Casey, I thought we were BOTH going to wear costumes to the party…"

"That IS his costume." Mikey stated.

"EVERY day is Halloween fer Casey Jones."

The orange and red-banded turtles laughed at the joke, and a small smile crept onto Cat's face at their antics.

"VERY funny, comin' from a couple 'a green guys who where masks every day 'a the year."

Cat turned her head to look at the normally hockey-masked vigilante.

"At least our masks look better than yours."

"OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH…"

"If ya weren't a girl, I'd-!"

"I believe the words you should be using are 'If you couldn't kick my butt, I'd-'."

A playful smile came onto her face as she saw Casey getting mad.

"Don't take it so personally, hot head. It's a tradition for me to do this every Halloween. It's one of my special talents."

"Yeah. It's a girls super power ta frustrate guys…"

"Ha-Ha, Raphie…I almost forgot to laugh…"

Casey rolled his eyes.

"Come on, April. Let's go."

"Happy Halloween, guys."

The two left, closing the door, and Kyana stretched on the ground, purring.

"Check it out! A Leo-O-Lantern!" Mikey joked, holding up his carved pumpkin.

"Ya got 'is charmin' smile down right."

Kyana stood up, ears perked, when the alarm went off.

"Don, I thought you fixed the alarm in April's shop." Leo stated.

"Yeah. Fixed it too good. Now it goes off all the time!" Raph answered.

"April and Casey probably set it off by accident. Mikey, come on. It's YOUR turn." Don stated.

"Alright, keep your shell on! I'm going, but later, I get first dibs on bobbing for apples!"

"Sorry, bro! I already got first dibs!" Cat called after his brother.

"Second dibs!"

"THAT'S more like it…"

Mikey surfed down the railing, and Cat's expression turned serious.

Kyana's fur was bristling, and a steady growl escaped her throat as she began baring her fangs.

"Kitten?" Raph asked warily.

"…Something's going on…and it's not good…"

Kyana nodded, her claws digging into the carpet.

Hearing something fall, Cat stood and jumped over the railing as Kyana ran down the steps.

She landed on the ground in a crouch, and saw two shadows run out the door, Mikey on the floor under an old bike.

"Otouto!"

Kyana ran to the door, a sound akin to a roar escaping her throat and into the streets as Cat helped her brother up.

The others ran down to see what was going on, and Leo found the more beaten burglar, who was dressed up as the wolf man.

"Ya 'kay, Mikey?" Raph asked as the orange-banded turtle stood, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah…never better…"

He shook his head to clear it from the pain.

"I think they grabbed something…and then they got away…"

Kyana growled, ears perked.

"What is it, girl?" Cat questioned, putting a hand on the heretsu's head.

"I've got their scent."

A mischievous grin spread across the white-banded turtle's face.

"…Good…"

She turned when she heard a surprised gasp, and saw Leo…INTERROGATING…the third burglar.

"I'm going to ask you again, what were you after?"

"A six-armed statue. We were supposed to get it for this guy at the Blue-Star Hotel. Fifth floor. That's all I know! I swear!"

Leo turned to them.

"Let's go. It looks like we have some of April's property to collect."

"Wouldn't you think they'd learn not to steal from here? I mean, we beat everybody up when they try…"

Cat shrugged.

"Common sense seems to have fled the human species…"

Kyana grabbed onto Cat's wristband with her teeth, and started dragging her out the door.

"Guys, I think it's time to go…Kyana, stop pulling! You're tearing my wristband! If you get poked in the eye with a dagger, just remember that I warned you!"

Kyana released her with a huff, and padded ahead of her as a small black alley cat, with a single white forepaw and a white circle around her right eye.

The others followed her, and Cat looked around at the happy kids going door to door getting candy.

'I remember when we would do that…'

"It doesn't make any sense…why would someone just steal a statue from April's shop and nothing else?"

"What doesn't make any sense is why we stopped for caramel apples!" Leo replied.

Cat smiled, swiping one from Mikey.

"Because it's Halloween, aniki! Caramel apples are MADE for this time of year!"

Mikey pouted.

"Do you think we have time for some trick or treating?"

"No. Try to focus. We can't just let a bunch of thugs break into April's and steal. We have to get that statue back."

Cat rolled her eyes, biting into the sweet treat.

They stopped so a couple kids could walk by, and one dressed as Silver Sentry smiled.

"Yo, cool costumes."

"Thanks. You, too." Mikey replied, grinning.

They kept going, Kyana on Cat's shoulder bristling and digging her claws into her skin.

"Gotta love Halloween…" Raph stated.

They got to the hotel soon, and snuck up to the fifth floor.

Kyana was a bloodhound, sniffing out the scent.

She stopped in front of a door, tail wagging.

"Guess this is it…"

Don knocked on the door, and everyone was battle-ready until an old lady opened the door.

"Oh, how cute! Say 'Trick or Treat'."

"Trick or treat!"

Cat smacked her forehead.

"Damn it, Kyana…"

"Great! Choco-Plenties! These are my favorite! We've GOT to keep doing this!" Mikey stated.

Leo sighed in frustration, glaring at Cat.

"Not MY fault I really wanted candy! Kyana decided not to tell me! Honest!"

'Not…'

Kyana stole one of Mikey's candies, and hid behind Cat as she ate before becoming a wolf and stopping in front of next door.

"Is this your way of making us go Trick or Treating?"

"No, aniki. This one is the right door. Kunoichi's Honor."

Don was about to knock, but Leo grabbed his hand, shaking his head.

The two moved out of the way, and Cat cracked her knuckles.

One good punch, and the door caved into splinters.

Kyana bolted in, a snarl in her throat and teeth bared.

The others followed, weapons drawn and ready.

There were two guys in the room, and one was…chanting?...to the six-armed statue, which was surrounded by candles.

The second man pulled out a knife, but Leo's shuriken knocked it out of his hands.

"What kind 'a creatures are these?"

"Hand over the statue! It doesn't belong to you!" Leo ordered.

"I know. I took it. For, as you can see, I am the King of Thieves!"

Cat raised an eye-ridge.

"…OKAY…" Don muttered.

"Crazy person…who needs a lesson in style…"

"Yeah." Mikey agreed, elbowing his sister playfully.

"More like the King of Tacky Bling."

"That was actually pretty good…"

"It was bound to happen eventually!"

The guy kept chanting, and a red light escaped his hands and hit the statue.

A strange black, red-rimmed rift left the statue and went right out an open window, and Kyana backed up slightly, still growling and bristling.

Strange imps with wings flew out, and Kyana became a jaguar, nearly roaring before pouncing on at least three.

Cat pulled out her blades, and slashed at the ones that tried to obscure her vision.

While they were busy fighting off the little buggers, the man and his partner left with the statue, going right out the front door.

More kept flying out, and Cat eventually growled in frustration, growing her claws and pouncing.

Leo started breaking through a wall, but it took their combined weight to topple through onto the hallway floor.

Kyana got up as a beagle puppy, shaking the dust from her head, when she noticed the surprised man in the hallway.

Cat stood up with a sheepish smile as her brothers followed suit.

"Sorry. Cheap hotel." Mikey stated before they started running down the hall.

They ran out onto the sidewalk to see the little imps stealing all over the place.

"There they are! Come on!" Leo ordered.

They ran to stop the 'King of Thieves', though the pair seemed to see them coming and ran into an alley.

Cat sped up, and cheetah Kyana turned the corner a few seconds before the turtle did.

She skidded to a stop when she saw him put the idol onto a dumpster and start chanting.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!"

She pulled out a kunai as her brothers caught up, and she was about to throw it when the statue grew, turning blue and coming to life.

"…Uh oh…"

"Ah, man…I HATE magic…" Raph muttered.

"THAT'S April's statue? You think she'd be asking more money for it!" Don stated.

"Crush them!"

Cat cracked her knuckles, crouching.

"Well, like they say, 'The freaks come out at night'." Mikey joked.

"An' I'm all fer puttin' 'em back ta bed!" Raph replied.

The guy got away as they fought against the six arms, until Cat finally grabbed one arm and threw the statue high into the air.

She stood up straight, and Kyana sat down peacefully.

"Kitten…"

"I know. Relax. I know what I'm doing."

The statue started falling down, and Cat jumped up.

Punching it straight in the face, it flew back up and landed on a rooftop.

"Come on, guys!"

Cat grew her wings, flying up with eagle Kyana as her brothers used the fire escape.

The once-statue stood, and Cat landed on the edge of the roof, wings folded and tail swinging dangerously.

The statue pulled small chimney's out of the roof, and Cat crouched down as Kyana became a jaguar, growling.

Her brothers spread out on the rooftop, and tried to take it by surprise.

WHACK!!

WHACK!!

SMACK!!

SLAM!!

Four turtles down…

Kyana pounced, digging her fangs and claws into a large arm before Cat kicked the statue right in the back.

It fell right off the roof, and Kyana flew up as a swift, landing on Cat's shoulder as she helped Mikey up.

"You shouldn't stay in places like that. You could've landed under him…"

Mikey looked down.

"…Right…"

"Now that's one pothole I wouldn't want ta hit on the Shell Cycle…" Raph commented.

"Me, either…" Cat agreed.

She floated down as her brothers climbed down through the fire escape, and looked down the hole at the subway underneath.

Her brothers joined her, and they looked at the rubble at the bottom before jumping down.

"Yoo-Hoo! Little boy blue!"

Don checked the rubble, using his Bo to test the surface.

A subway went past, the wind whipping at their mask tails until it passed by.

"Ya think the fall took care 'a 'im?" Raph questioned.

"I don't know…" Don admitted.

Then the creature reared out of the rubble, and Don flipped back quickly.

"…I'll take that as a no…"

"We can do this. Move in tandem. Get in and get out. Don't let him grab you." Leo ordered.

It tried to stomp on them, but Cat caught its foot and kept the creature off balance.

"Guys, get him!"

Mikey jumped up, kicking it straight in the chest.

It stumbled back as Cat twisted the ankle and pushed him.

A subway light caught her eye from down the tunnel.

"Keep hitting him back!"

The once-statue nearly fell onto the tracks, but started pulling itself up.

"KYANA!"

The now gorilla-shaped heretsu slammed into statue, knocking it into the subway trains path.

Neither could be seen as the car sped by, and Cat looked around worriedly once it did.

"KYANA!! KYANA!!"

A little spider monkey heretsu looked down at her from the roof of the tunnel before jumping to her shoulder.

"You scared me!!" The white-banded turtle chided, hugging the now puppy-shaped little creature to her chest.

"Subway train one, large ugly monster…zero…"

Everyone nodded, agreeing with the red-banded turtle.

The remains disappeared, so they went up and told the police about what happened.

They arrested the guy.

"Thanks for the help. Why don't you kids go have fun with your Trick-Or-Treating?"

Mikey was eager enough to obey, and Cat rolled her eyes before following him.

She smirked slightly as she heard the cops still talking.

"Nice kids."

"Yeah. Weird costumes, though."

'You have NO idea…'


	82. Chapter 82

Leo was training again…

Leo was training again…

Kyana yawned, stretching as an alley cat, as Cat watched from the couch.

"I'm tellin' ya, Leo's goin' mental!" Raph whispered.

"It can't be that bad…" Cat muttered, resting her head on the back of the couch.

She tuned out the others, her eyes closed as Kyana became a jackal, curling up on the couch next to Mikey.

A sword flew, and she heard it hit something.

Opening her eyes, she winced slightly.

'I hope Raph didn't see that…'

"My bag!"

'…He saw it…'

"That is it! Ya've had it, psycho boy!"

Cat vaulted over the couch, holding him back.

"Whoa, boy! No attacking! I thought we went over this!"

"Raphael! Calm yourself!" Splinter ordered.

"We are receiving guests."

Cat perked, and Kyana became a golden retriever, tail wagging, as a portal appeared from the pool.

Usagi stepped out, and Kyana barked happily.

"My friends."

"Usagi-nii-san!"

"Welcome, friend." Splinter greeted.

Gen followed the rabbit ronin, and she rolled her eyes.

"Greetings, turtles."

"…Gen came…GREAT…"

"You are in luck. I have decided to give you another chance to impress me with your world."

"Yeah, I'm lucky, aren't I? …Not…"

"You honor us with your presence Miyamoto, Usagi." Splinter stated.

"Thank you, sensei. After witnessing your holiday festivities, I decided that I would like to see more of your world."

"You traveled the Battle Nexus?" Leo questioned.

"No, Leonardo-san. An old friend of mine aided me in the ritual so that we may come directly to this world."

Cat smiled, Kyana beside her.

"It's good to see you, no matter how you got here."

"It's good to be here, Caterina-nii-chan."

They decided to bring the two to the surface along the rooftops.

"So, how do you guys think of our Tortuga Brothers Big Apple tour so far?" Mikey asked.

"Your city is quite…impressive…" Usagi stated.

"It's so big and so shiny! And those buildings! That's a lot of torches!"

Raph scoffed playfully.

"Tourists…"

Eagle Kyana spread her wings with a squaw, which earned a reply from the other predatory birds in the vicinity.

"Kyana, don't fool around!" Cat warned softly.

"Oh, you ain't seen nothing yet!" Mikey stated, walking up to the two 'tourists'.

"If you want to experience New York, I've got two words for you: hot dogs!"

Cat shuddered.

"None for me. Not after what I learned was in those things."

Kyana ruffled her feathers in disgust.

Mikey looked over the edge of the roof, and Cat sat down with her shell against a wall.

They went from rooftop to rooftop, Mikey enthusiastically leading the way.

Cat lingered more in the back, looking at the peaceful stars that managed to shine in the sky.

Leo didn't seem as into it, either.

Seeing him look around like they were going to be ambushed, she walked by his side and let Kyana, as a marten, jump onto his shoulder.

"Wha-?"

"Calm down, aniki. It's just Kyana."

She smiled.

"She didn't like seeing you all angsty."

Leo rolled his eyes, and she smiled wider.

"Aw. You know it's true!"

They went all over New York, above and below, far and wide.

They got to a rooftop nearer the lair, and relaxed.

Cat felt her mind wander again as the others began to talk.

It was a habit she'd grown into.

After all of the things that had happened, she found her thoughts lingering on the past.

Her mind would do this with any idle time, so her dreams were often plagued with every memory she wished she could forget.

Every fight, every injury…

She felt it like she was experiencing it all over again…

Kyana whimpered, lying her head on Cat's shoulder as a husky, snapping the white-banded turtle out of her thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Come on, Kitten. We're headin' home."

She nodded, standing.

"Sorry…Just thinking…"

Once back at the lair, everyone headed to bed.

Cat tried to sleep, to rest, but it was one of those nights…

Her rest was plagued with nightmares, and she woke up with a start, cold sweat making her skin clammy.

Kyana shook as a little white kitten, while Yuki meowed worriedly.

"I'm okay, Yuki…go to sleep…"

She got out of bed, and looked out of her room to see everyone was still asleep.

Sneaking to the 'dojo', she started going through kata.

They always seemed to take her mind off everything, clearing everything.

As morning came, she went to the kitchen to grab some Gatorade.

Leo was the first to come out of his room, tying his mask on.

He jumped down, training right off the bat.

She heard Usagi, and hid in the kitchen.

If Leo found out she was awake this early, there'd be questions she wasn't willing to answer.

They were sparring, and she heard them talking before Mikey's voice caught her attention.

"Hey! Gen's gone!"

'Where did that gambling rhino go?' She thought crossly as Kyana became a wolf.

The others were woken and they went searching the city.

After doing a once-over, Cat sped up to the front so Kyana could catch the 'stupid rhino's' scent before they stopped.

"Where could Gen be?" Raph questioned crossly.

"He could be in trouble…" Mikey noted.

"Genosuke has his…flaws…but I am confidant he can take care of himself, should he run into trouble." Usagi assured.

"Gen shouldn't go walking the streets! Especially in broad daylight!" Don stated.

"When I find that stupid rhino, I'm gonna show him how 'violent' I can be…" Cat growled.

"We need reinforcements. Don, get Casey down here now."

Don pulled out his Shell Cell.

"You know he's asleep…Cat, you call…"

Rolling her eyes, she took it and punched in the number.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Casey. We need your help?"

"NOW? Ya must be crazy-!"

"I'm not in the mood for your bull, Casey Jones! So you'd better get your butt out of bed and out on the streets looking for a walking rhino!"

"…Didn't get any sleep?"

"I told you to get up, NOT TO ASK ME QUESTIONS!"

"Okay, okay! Jeez…yer always so touchy nowadays…"

"Hey, it works out. See ya later."

She hung up, giving it back to Don.

She saw the surprised looks she was receiving.

An innocent look crossed her face.

"What?"

Screams rang through the air.

Mikey grinned.

"See? Follow the screams."

"Then move your shell!" Cat ordered, Kyana becoming an osprey.

They were soon on a rooftop across the street from Gen, who was surrounded by people and a single cop, who had his gun drawn.

Casey drove up on his motorcycle, and Kyana spread her wings.

Raph and Mikey made a pretty big commotion in the alley, and they climbed up and out of sight rather easily.

The cop ran in, and Casey drove up to get Gen out of there.

Cat shook her head as the motorcycle raced off.

"When I get my hands on him…"

"No maiming!"

"MAN! I can't do ANYTHING!"

Cat pouted, crossing her arms.

"Disaster averted. Now how about we get the shell out of here!" Mikey stated from the top of the ladder.

"Come on, Mikey! I'm not exactly enjoyin' the view down 'ere!" She heard Raph state.

"Oh right. Sorry, I-."

Something flew through the air, and Cat heard it hit the bricks.

The ladder started swaying back, and she jumped forward, grabbing Mikey's hands.

She pulled back with all her strength, and the two managed to climb back onto the edge.

"Thanks, Kitten…" Raph managed.

Nodding, she turned when Kyana became a jaguar, snarling at the new figure on the rooftop.

"Oh, come on…"

Turning around, she pulled out her blades and crouched down.

The hood was removed, showing a scarred warthog.

"…OHHH…SCARY…" Cat mocked.

"What are you going to do? Eat me?"

Mikey and Raph jumped onto the roof.

Apparently, this guy was here to FIGHT them…

Well, at least Leo…

He removed his cape, throwing three smoking bags.

They exploded, sending the orange and red-banded turtle's back.

"MIKEY!! RAPH!!"

She was about to jump for them when the roof caved under them.

She stopped, and her eyes flashed red.

"…Hey, pig…"

She glared hotly, eyes taking on a hint of crimson.

"You just pissed off the wrong turtle…"

"Sister, tread carefully."

Jaguar Kyana snarled, fangs bared and fur bristling.

"Don't worry. He'll learn to do it, too."

She slid into a fighting stance, and motioned for him to strike first.

He tried to bull-rush her, but she ducked, slamming her elbow into his gut.

While he was stunned, she grabbed his ankles, lifting him into the air and whirled around.

She released him with a snap, and he slammed into a concrete wall.

"…You are stronger than you look…"

"I get that a lot."

She pounced on him, growing claws and digging them into his shoulders.

Kyana ran in, ready to dig her fangs into his throat, when he blew dust into her eyes.

Lurching back, she closed her eyes, and was smacked straight off.

She landed on her shell, and rubbed her eyes as Kyana defended her.

Usagi and Leo tried to fight him on their own as she tried to regain her sight, Kyana whimpering and trying to lick the pain away with her soothing tongue.

She regained her sight blearily, and saw that the 'assassin' was ready to cut Usagi down.

"NO!"

Leo tackled the warthog, and Cat scrambled to her feet.

The others joined them on the rooftop, cornering him as Leo gathered his swords.

The warthog tried to seem fearless in the face of their numbers, and Cat jumped up, kicking him in the face.

He fell like dead weight, and she put her blades away as Kyana became a lioness at her side.

"Well, he shut up." She muttered.

They made it back to the lair, and Gen decided to leave with the bound assassin.

Cat was playing her guitar when Usagi sat beside her.

Giving him a curious sideways glance, she stopped.

"Is there something you need, Usagi-nii-san?"

"Actually, I was hoping to talk to you. I would've done so earlier, but Gen's disappearance changed my plans."

Putting down her guitar, she left Kyana rest her head on her lap.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"…I noticed you were up last night…you didn't get any sleep, did you?"

Avoiding eye contact, she gave the slightest of nods.

"If something is hurting you, it is wise to tell someone."

"I know…But…I don't want to burden my brothers…My problems aren't worth it…"

"I understand you wanting to protect them, but you're hurting yourself."

"…I never said it was a good plan, but I'll live…"

"From what I can see, you'll have changed too much from who you were before you understand what you must do."

She smiled slightly.

"I'll keep that in mind, brother. But it seems its time for you to go home."

"So it seems…Goodbye, sister."

"Goodbye."

The two were leaving when she heard Mikey cry out.

"WAIT! STOP THEM! DON'T LET THEM GO!"

The portal closed.

"Mikey?"

"What now, shell fer brains?"

"My Silver Sentry comics…Gen, he…he took them! All of them! NO!!"

Cat rolled her eyes, leaning back.

'He'll live…'


	83. Chapter 83

Leo and Splinter were training, each using a single katana, while everyone else tried to use their free time to its full advantage

Leo and Splinter were training, each using a single katana, while everyone else tried to use their free time to its full advantage.

That meant Cat was really the only one training…

Though Raph was lifting weights…

She had been meditating, trying to clear her head, when Kyana started to fidget, snapping through forms almost too fast to see.

Cat-Dog-Eagle-Martin-Sparrow-Lynx-Wolf-Panther-Jackal-Fox-Puppy.

'Kyana?'

Then she felt it.

A twist in her gut that traveled up to her heart and grabbed it like a fist.

'Oh no…'

Opening her eyes, she saw the fighting escalating, and stood up.

"Something tells me that the cork is about to pop on that unopened bottle…" She heard Mikey state.

"That hothead…"

'…RAPH said that? …Something's wrong…'

The twist grew worse, and she saw the anger on Leo's face.

'Don't…Don't, aniki…'

But he seemed so lost in it…

"DON'T!"

Bolting from her place, she managed to get between them before the katana fell.

The cut over her eye started spilling blood, and she put a hand to it, trying to stop the flow.

"KITTEN!"

"KITTY!"

Pulling her mask down around her neck so it wouldn't stain, she tried a reassuring smile.

"I-It's alright…Head wounds just bleed a lot…"

Everyone crowded around her, even though she insisted that it was alright.

"Leo, what the shell is yer problem?!" Raph demanded, hardly keeping himself from drawing his sai.

The katana clattered to the floor, and Leo managed to get through the crowd.

"Imouto! I'm sorry, I-!"

He reached to touch her shoulder, but she flinched back.

That hurt more than when they'd fought the Foot Elite that first time…

The unwavering trust he was so used to seeing in her eyes was gone, like she didn't know what to expect anymore.

Kyana was a little puppy, hiding behind her legs.

"Imouto, I…"

He saw the guilt on her face, and she put a hand on his.

"…I-It's okay…Y-You didn't mean to…"

Don grabbed her other hand.

"Come on. We need to bandage that up."

"A-Alright…"

As Don cleaned the cut and bandaged it, Splinter took Leo into his room.

Kyana whimpered and whined, cuddling against her leg.

"That should do it." Don stated, showing he was finished.

"Th-Thanks, Donnie…"

Raph hugged her from behind, pulling her shell tight to his plastron.

"Ya sure yer 'kay, Kitten?"

"I-I'm sure…"

Even Mikey didn't seem sure.

They'd never heard Cat stutter unless she was in extreme pain and couldn't help it.

'But it was just a little cut…' Raph reasoned.

'How much could one little cut hurt?'

"Caterina."

Kyana perked, and both turned to the elderly rat.

"Would you come with me, please?"

She nodded, and pulled herself free of Raph's hold in order to follow her father.

He closed the door to his room, and motioned for her to kneel on a mat beside her blue-banded brother.

"I want both of you to listen." Splinter instructed.

Kyana became a dog, belly to the ground.

"We were all badly wounded in our final confrontation with the Shredder…"

Cat couldn't help but have a hand linger over the scar that marred her plastron…

"Your brothers and I have healed, but you two have not. Do not think I haven't noticed how you stay up so late, my daughter. And on such a frequent basis."

She lowered her eyes.

"I have meditated long and hard on this, and now realize that…you are correct, my son."

Both turtles were equally surprised.

"It is time for both of you to move on. It is time for you to study with a new sensei."

Kyana whimpered, tail limp, and backed off slowly.

"But master, I don't want a new sensei! I'm happy here with you!" Leo replied.

"M-Me, too. I-I don't want to leave. Th-There's got to be something you can teach me, sensei!"

"No, my children. It is as it must be."

Cat held back her tears as the elderly rat stood.

She followed suit with her brother.

"Now, there is only one master in the world that I would trust my children's well-being to. He is wise, honorable, and highly skilled. He is called the Ancient One, and he was the sensei to MY sensei, Hamato Yoshi. You two must make a pilgrimage. A pilgrimage half-way across the world."

"But, sensei-."

"Come. Let's prepare you for your journey."

She nodded reluctantly.

'I won't stay there for too long…I don't want them hurt while I'm gone…'

--

The two turtles hid behind some crates, looking at the freighter.

Adjusting the bag on her back, she followed her brother to the large boat and stowed away.

Looking out a porthole at the receding city, she pat Kyana's martin head distractedly.

The whole trip was silent, and Cat only stretched when Japan came into view.

Pulling a long jacket and hat from her pack, she pulled them on before following her brother.

They started walking almost immediately, going over rocks and valleys and such.

They reached an area where it was cold and windy, snow on the ground and blowing in the breeze.

Kyana became a snow leopard, and tried to warm Cat's legs.

They went through paths and rocks, and were heading for a pass when two large shadows came into view on the other side.

Trying to appear nonchalant, they walked towards the two 'abominable snowmen'.

Both drew nasty-looking blades, and growled.

Kyana bristled, baring her fangs.

"None shall pass!"

"What is it that you seek?"

"We seek the Ancient One." Leo replied.

"YOU seek the Ancient One?"

"You, funny little green people. You not even old enough to be adult. You children. Itty bitty children."

"Yes, go home."

Kyana snarled, claws digging into the ground, though Cat looked up with a somewhat emotionless expression.

Leo dropped his pack, unsheathing his katana.

"That's it! I didn't come all this way just to turn around and go home!"

Cat nodded, pulling off her own pack.

"I agree with my brother."

Pulling out her blades, she jumped up and tried to kick one in the face.

They smacked her away, but she flipped in the air and landed feet-first on a wall.

Using chakra to stick to the surface, she threw some shuriken.

They blocked them, but didn't see her foot coming this time.

He flew back, and she landed on his chest.

"Didn't expect THAT, now did you?"

She turned to see the other stepping on Leo's shell, and Kyana poised herself over the others throat.

"I'd put him down if I was in your position…" She warned.

The other got off Leo, and Cat got off the other, Kyana jumping onto her shoulder as a wildcat.

"Have you learned a lesson, little one?"

One lifted Leo onto his feet.

"A warrior that attacks in anger…"

"Is a warrior that never wins…"

They put away their weapons.

"That is the lesson…"

"Travel to that rock face until your shadow is in front of you…walk on your shadow with your eyes closed for seven paces…Open your eyes and you will have reached the hidden land…"

"And remember the lesson…"

They started walking, and the wind picked up again.

When they turned, their old 'opponents' were gone in the swirl of snow.

"Well…no one said it wasn't going to get weird…"

"No one ever does…" Cat replied.

As the snow grew deeper, Cat looked down to see her shadow in front of her.

Looking ahead, she saw a land that seemed in summer, and she heard birds.

They walked along a path that seemed carved into the ground, and Kyana flew up as an eagle.

The sun started to set, giving everything an orange glow, and Kyana landed on Cat's shoulder with a short yawn.

She noted an old, squat man by the roadside when a fart sounded.

Trying not to breathe through her nose, having learned not to living with four teenaged boys, she tried not to comment.

She turned her head to see the offender, and he chuckled.

"Nice on, eh?"

"Yeah…the worst-smelling one yet…" She muttered.

"Um, sir. Could you help me with some directions? We trying to find the way to someone called the Ancient One."

Cat was sure she saw something flash across the man face, and Kyana became a martin.

"Ancient One, eh? Trust me, I know the way to that old windbag. But it gonna cost you."

Cat didn't want to breathe after the second little fart…

"You got any yen? Give me yen. You got dollars? Give me dollars!"

"We don't have any." Cat admitted.

"Give me food then!"

"But we don't have much food." Leo stated.

The man jumped to his feet, and Cat quirked an eye-ridge at how skilled he seemed.

'But he's really starting to annoy the shell out of me…'

When he started rummaging through her pack, Kyana looked back at him.

"I don't have anything except trail mix and some cookies…"

She smiled sheepishly.

"Otouto snuck those in there…They're chocolate…"

"Chocolate? Give me chocolate!"

Kyana rummaged through the pack and handed one over.

He ate it in one bite, and Kyana closed the pack before climbing back up to Cat's shoulder.

"You have more! Gimme!"

Going into the state of mind that she used when Mikey wanted more sweets, she just shook her head.

"Maybe later. You can't only eat chocolate."

"Are you sure you know the way to the Ancient One?" Leo asked uncertainly.

The man started walking again, and another fart sounded in the air.

'…I'm gonna die by the time we get there, I just know it…'

"All roads lead to the Ancient One, monkey boy."

Cat couldn't help a smile, but tried to hide it when she got an irritated look from her brother.

"But some roads are shorter than others."

He started moving off the path, and Kyana bristled warily before nudging Cat's cheek.

"Alright, alright…" She muttered.

"But the road continues in THIS direction…" Leo stated.

"I said some roads are shorter than others. That means a shortcut, stupid!"

Another fart.

"…Well, come on…" Cat stated, and they followed the short fat man.

The sun completely disappeared behind the horizon, and they sat down around a campfire.

Cat was ready to just go to sleep, Kyana a large tigress so she could be a comfortable pillow, when the smell of a fart hit her nose.

She shot up, both hands shooting up to cover her nose, and she sneezed.

The force nearly sent her back onto her shell.

"What's wrong with you?"

"M-My nose…i-it burns!"

"She has a sensitive sense of smell and hearing." Leo explained.

Another fart…

"Man, you are unbelievable!"

"It's just air."

Fart…

"Ugh…"

A strange sound went through the air, and Kyana growled deep in her chest, making a vibration go through Cat's shell.

"What was that?" She asked warily, looking around.

"Demon ghosts coming down the trail."

Violet eyes widened at the nonchalant tone.

"Demon ghosts…AND WE SHOULDN'T BE WORRIED?!"

The noise was closer, and Leo jumped to his feet, katana drawn.

"Don't be so tense, monkey-turtle. If we don't bother them, they won't bother us. Remain silent, and they will continue on their ghostly way."

Cat settled back down into her heretsu's side, still unsure, and kept her hands on her blades just in case.

"…Really?" Leo asked.

"Trust me."

Leo sheathed his katana after a moment and sat down, and Cat followed the sound to see four ghosts.

They looked like monsters with blades.

Not wanting to be seen at all, since she didn't want to fight ghosts, she hid in Kyana's warm fur as the heretsu watched the four specters with a wary, untrusting gaze.

A fart sounded, and it caught the ghost's attention.

'Aw, damn it…'

"What? It's just air."

"Tell that to them." Leo replied.

He jumped to his feet, katana drawn.

Before Cat could join him, he shook his head.

"You stay back. I don't want you to get hurt."

His gaze lingered on the bandage still on her forehead, and she glared.

"I'm fine!"

"Protect him."

The blue-banded turtle jumped into the fight, and Cat glared when the old man started going through her pack.

"…Do you REALLY need to eat chocolate now?"

"Yes!"

'…He's worse than Mikey and pizza…'

She looked back at the fight, and growled.

'They can hurt him, but he can't hurt them…how can he beat them?'

"Poor dumb cumquat…"

A savage snarl made the fat man jump, and he saw her eyes flash red.

"If that was my brother you were talking about, I'd think about taking back that statement…"

He seemed ready to change the subject, and turned to Leo.

"How about surrendering?"

"What?! THAT'S your advice?! That's ridiculous!!"

Leo dodged the blades again.

"Just say 'I surrender'."

"But that's stupid!" Leo retorted.

His katana was knocked out of his hand, but he managed to get out of immediate danger.

"To surrender is not the warrior's way!"

His second blade was struck from his hand.

"There won't be much of a warrior without a head!"

Cat growled, standing.

"Just do it! It's worth a try, aniki!"

Kyana nodded, growling at the ghosts.

The four raised their blades, ready to strike…

"I surrender!"

The metal stopped, and there was a tense silence until the specters drifted away.

Leo was on his knees, exhausted.

Cat moved to his side, putting a worried hand on his shoulder.

"I lost…I failed…"

Her eyes narrowed.

SLAP!!

That must've surprised both of the men…

"Sorry, aniki. But SOMETHING needed to snap you out of this brooding! It doesn't matter if you don't win every fight, but at least we're all alive!"

Kyana stood behind her, growling softly, as she put her hands on her hips.

"If you want to think of it as a success/failure thing, then we've BOTH failed! You think I like sitting on the sidelines? I'd rather let Mikey rip my teeth out! And don't think I won't slap you again if that didn't get through your thick shell!"

"You should listen to her! She has a good head on her shoulders!"

"Why THANK you!"

"A warrior that never fails never learns."

Leo stood, and she followed his eyes to the night sky.

A shooting star sped by, and Kyana rubbed her side against the white-banded turtle's waist affectionately.

'…I want to go home…'

--

It was daytime again, and they were approaching a path that led to a castle.

Unfortunately, the trail ended at a rock face.

'…Darn it…'

"End of the trail, monkey-turtle."

Fart.

"Ancient One lives on top of this mountain. He lives in a temple."

"FINALLY…" Cat muttered.

"Let's go." Leo added.

"The temple grounds are perilous to those who are unworthy. You think yourselves worthy? Cumquat? Shugotenshi?"

Both nodded.

"Okay…you're funeral…"

"So, what makes you think YOU'RE worthy?" Leo questioned.

"This."

FART…

"…You shouldn't have asked, aniki…" Cat mumbled, Kyana a hawk on her shoulder.

"I call front!" She stated louder, nearly running for the wall of rock.

Growing wings and a tail, she took off into the air.

"Imouto, that's cheating!"

"I need to stretch my wings sometime, aniki!"

Once at the top, she folded her wings and waited for her two traveling companions.

"A hand?"

Rolling her eyes, she swooped down and lifted both up to the edge.

They continued along the trail, Leo carrying the old man on his shoulders.

'Poor Leo…'

They walked through the temple's gates, and the man jumped to the ground only after farting.

"It's times like these that makes me miss Mikey and him putting fake spiders in my bed…"

"The temple of the Ancient One lies within."

FAAAAAAAAAART…

"Prepare yourselves!"

They started running in, though she couldn't find the sense in it.

'Why are we running?'

They were following the old man down the halls, when he stopped.

Kyana jumped to the ground as a wolf-dog, and growled slightly in frustration.

"Now you must prove yourselves against your most dangerous adversaries."

The ground shook, making two large rock creatures.

'…Shell…'

Cat felt her scales rattle as she drew her blades.

"I smell your fear…and your failure…you are not worthy…"

"Says you!" Cat snarled, jumping in.

One of the large turtles made blades like her own, blocking.

She was smacked back, and was hit to the ground.

"You are too frightened, as you have failed yourself and others."

"You don't know what you're talking about!" She snarled, charging.

"I know you better than you know yourself!"

She was smacked back, and she flashed back to her 'nightmare'.

"…_Y-You failed, Kitty…You let the monster out…" _

She tried to shake Don's voice away, and another fist smacked into her.

"_KITTY!!"_

Mikey's cry from that battle with the Shredder had torn at her heart…

A fist smacked her into the ground.

"_KITTEN!!"_

She still felt the blood on her skin…

She grabbed the blade as it tried to strike her.

"I'm sorry…I did the best I could!"

She ripped the blade out of the creatures hands, and grabbed the rocks wrist.

"If I could've done more, I would have!"

She threw the large figure over her shoulder.

"If I could've found a way, I would have! If I can fight the darkness, I can!"

She raised her fist, punching the face as Kyana howled.

The rock crumbled, showing her own face.

Shocked into stillness, she stepped back slowly.

"If there was no more you could have done, why do you punish yourself so?"

Cat nodded, and she felt a weight lift off her shoulders as a real smile crept onto her face.

She bowed to the rock version of herself, and turned to see Leo had done the same.

"I get it now…" She stated, smiling.

Turning around, she walked towards the old man with her brother and went to her knees.

"Ancient One. I am honored."

"Took you two long enough?"

She smirked.

"Feelings and hunches don't always tell me everything…"

They went inside, and the Ancient One made some tea.

"Now, Leonardo. Tell an old man what you think you have learned."

Leo accepted the bowl offered.

"I guess…I've been…I've been obsessed with failing…I hardened my heart like a rock…Wrapped up inside my own shell…thinking I wasn't good enough…That I needed to be better…so angry…so-OW!!"

Cat nearly fell over with laughter as Leo rubbed his head.

"Too many words. Explain simply."

"…I've been my own worst enemy…"

"Much better. Caterina?"

She thought for a moment, trying to think of the right words.

"…I've been…zeroed in on protecting my brothers…so…when I fail, I guess it hurts more than it should…"

She saw the stick.

"Okay-Okay! SHEESH! A girl can't use more than twenty words in this place…"

She thought for a moment.

"…Same as Leo, I guess…I've been my own worst enemy…"

"Now, relax and enjoy your tea."

Cat sipped the hot liquid.

"And let me tell you a tale of Master Yoshi. When Yoshi found himself at a crossroads, not too different from your own…"

Kyana yawned, nestling down as a panther.

'Maybe this won't be so bad…'


	84. Chapter 84

Meditating on a log that was over a canyon…

Meditating on a log that was over a canyon…

Cat began wondering why she still did these stunts with Leo anymore…

She would've said something, but a feeling tugged at her, causing a growl from leopard Kyana.

"Aniki, something's wrong…"

"What? Are you going to fall?"

She glared slightly.

"Not me! The others! Something's wrong!"

"How the shell could you-?"

"No questions! It'll make this take longer!"

She jumped to her feet.

"We need to go home!"

The Ancient One seemed to agree with her entirely.

"But there's still so much to learn…"

"Brothers! Sensei! DANGER! IS ANY OF THIS GETTING THROUGH TO YOU?!"

They jumped to one side, and bowed to the Ancient One.

'I'd prefer to fly, but…'

Kyana bristled.

'That better not be a slow boat we'll be using…'

--

Cat impatiently jumped off the freighter, Kyana a black panther by her side as she ran through the shadows.

'They'd better be okay, or someone's gonna have a pissed off dragon/turtle beating their ass to next millennium!'

The two turtles went down into the sewers, heading to their home.

"I actually began to miss these old sewers…"

"Yeah…they have a lot of memories…"

Cat stopped, and Kyana bristled in rage.

"The lair!"

Both drew their weapons as they approached the gaping hole that was their front door.

Everything was blasted and destroyed, crumbled.

Worry made her heart beat faster.

Leo picked something up, and Cat saw the remains of a Shell Cell.

'No…'

A sound reached her sensitive ears, and Kyana crouched down, as if ready to pounce.

A machine landed behind them, and Cat whirled around.

"…That's big…"

It tried to shoot at them, but they dodged rather well.

Cat crouched down, eyes nearly swirling red.

"You dare do this to my home?!"

Jumping up, she kicked through the glass shielded the soldier, and the whole machine fell back.

Leo joined her, cutting off the man's seatbelt.

"The Foot." She snarled.

"My family. Where are they?" Leo demanded, katana at the man's throat.

"You'll get nothing from me!"

He pressed a button, and the whole machine began to convulse.

The two turtles jumped off, going to seek shelter from the impending explosion.

They ran out the front door, and the force of the blast sent them flying through the air.

Looking back at the remains of the lair, Kyana snarled.

"We need some answers." Leo stated.

'I need to know my family's safe…'

--

Watching from a rooftop across from April's antique shop, Cat tried not to fidget.

It was dangerous to bring Angel into this, but April's place was being watched by the Foot.

She came out with a note from April in the box, and Kyana flew down as a hawk to retrieve it.

Leo opened the box, reading the note.

Just looking at the broken picture frame in the pizza box made Cat sick.

"That bitch…"

"Karai's lying! They're alive!"

She looked up at her brother, and saw certainty in his eyes.

Kyana became a wolf-dog, nodding and nuzzling against her hand.

"…Then let's go find them…"

--

Swimming through the Hudson river was never one of Cat's favorite things to do, but she was willing to do it her whole life if it meant finding some of her family.

The light from Leo's flashlight went over the riverbed, trying to find a clue, when it landed on a broken Shell Sub.

She moved closer, and the light reflected on something metal.

Turning, she saw an air tank from the Shell Sub, and went closer to find that it was nearly completely empty.

She grabbed it before joining her brother at the surface for air, and both headed for the shore with tiger shark Kyana behind them.

They stopped on the sand, and Cat put down the tank.

"It's nearly completely empty…and the Shell Sub is wrecked…Don'll be heartbroken…"

She let Leo concentrate, put the pieces together.

Kyana became a chameleon, tail wrapped around her arm.

"…They came up around here…and would've headed to the pier for shelter…"

Kyana jumped to the ground as a bloodhound.

"Then let's go searching."

Kyana ran ahead, following the scent, with the two turtles close behind.

She stopped at a warehouse door, and an almost silent whine escaped her throat.

Both turtles shared a glance, nodding, and headed for the roof.

Kyana flew up as a rook, and they got in through a broken ceiling window.

She looked around at the dark, and Kyana became a golden retriever, tail wagging.

Cat whirled around, seeing a shadow.

"Donnie!"

"Kitty?"

"DONNIE!"

Running up, she hugged him, lifting him straight off his feet.

Putting him down gently, she saw the limp he had.

"I'll take care of that later…" She mumbled, and smiled.

"Sensei!"

Leo seemed as relieved as she was.

"I knew you were both alive! I just knew it!"

"Everything will be okay…Promise…"

"…It's good to see you guys again…"

Cat smiled.

"Same here, bro."

"We need to get you two out of here before any more Foot show up." Leo stated.

They went into the sewer system under Central Park, and Leo seemed to be looking for something.

He found a boarded up entry, and Cat pulled out the boards before he opened the door.

She looked around at the sheer size before walking onto the platform.

"…This should do for now…"

"This looks like one of the earlier pumping stations for the reservoir. I think I've seen it on some of the old city planning."

Don whistled as he looked around.

"VERY nice."

"Leonardo. Caterina. Now that Donatello and I are safe-."

"We're already on it, sensei. We'll find them." Cat assured, and Kyana jumped onto her shoulder as a wildcat.

The two headed out to search for their two missing brothers…

--

They were searching through the sewers near the lair, and Cat winced when she saw the remains of a blown-up Tunneler.

Kyana perked, jumping down and running towards something.

Cat followed, and smiled.

"Footprints. Several yards from the wreckage. Either Raph or Mikey."

They followed them through a hole, and found a bag of cat food, a broken plate, and a comic.

"…Mikey…"

Leo started concentrating again, and Cat tried to clear her head as Kyana fidgeted around her ankles.

Kyana led the way, and Cat smiled comfortingly when she saw a sleeping Mikey and two angry little kittens.

"Hey, Klunk." Leo greeted, and the hissing cat calmed down, letting him pet him.

"Yuki!"

The little white kitten jumped into her owners arms, purring and meowing in content.

Like a mother waking a child, she gently shook Mikey's shoulder, scaring the shell off of him.

"Wha-?"

He looked at her through sleepy eyes.

"Kitty? Is that you?"

"Yeah…"

"I had the strangest dream…"

Kyana let Yuki ride on her back as she became a leopard, and Cat lifted her brother comfortingly into her arms.

"You were there…and the Tin Man…"

She rolled her eyes as she started walking, listening for any subway trains.

"And the Cowardly Lion…and the Grouchy Raph of the West…"

Leo smiled slightly.

"You're going to be okay, Mikey…"

--

After dropping off Mikey, they headed topside, and found a beaten up Battle Shell still on the street.

Kyana growled, sniffing the ground.

"Shell Cycle tracks?" Cat guessed.

Looking around, they both saw something under a bridge.

"And that's definitely Raph's helmet!" Leo stated, running to retrieve it.

Cat and her heretsu followed as a train raced overhead.

When her blue-banded brother started concentrating again, she couldn't help that she began fidgeting.

'Raphie, please be okay…please not have done something reckless…'

"…The D train…Coney Island!"

Cat pulled out her wings, flapping them.

"Then let's go."

Picking up her blue-banded brother, she started flying as fast as her wings would allow.

"Sure you're not going to drop me?"

"If I do, will you trust me to catch you?"

"…Good point…"

She landed near the train tracks, and smiled when she saw a soda thrown from behind a support.

Stepping into sight, she folded her wings as Raph bolted up, twirling his sai.

"Hey, Raph…"

"Kitten?"

She moved closer, and was caught in a shell-cracking hug.

He started rambling about what happened and the others as Leo came up.

"It's okay, Raph." Leo assured.

"They're fine. We found them."

"Yeah. Everyone's okay." Cat added.

"…I'm glad yer both back…"

Cat smiled, pulling free so she could breathe properly.

"Let's head back to the others…"

--

They got back rather quickly, and Yuki was eager to greet the white-banded turtle.

"Guys, we found him!" Leo announced.

Don seemed ready to greet the red-banded turtle, but his brooding made him shrug it off.

He was still peeved that the Foot had destroyed their home.

"Nothing is permanent. We must learn to flow with change." Leo stated.

"It seems Leonardo has learned a thing or two from the Ancient One…Yes…I can see it in your eyes…in both of your eyes…"

Cat beamed, Kyana snuggling against her side with Yuki.

"I have my children back…"

His expression turned grim.

"And I can see something else…You both must be careful…she will be well-guarded…and her skills are much improved…"

She stood, handing Yuki over to her orange-banded brother.

"So are mine…"

She headed for the exit, and Leo started to follow.

"We're going to get some food and supplies. We'll be back."

They raced across the rooftops, stopping on one across the street from the Foot headquarters.

"…Imouto, don't do anything you'll regret later…"

"…Trust me…I won't regret a thing…"

She was ready to jump down when Leo put a hand on her shoulder.

"…You've done so well controlling your temper…don't make it all for nothing…"

"…She hunted down our family…" She ground out.

"And she'll lose."

"By my hand."

She turned to him with hard eyes.

"I have a good reason for wanting to beat her myself. Even if you don't know what it is. Let me fight her."

"…Alright…"

A small smile fluttered across her face.

"Thanks, aniki…"

He pulled out some rope as she stretched her wings.

'No one attacks my family…attacks Raph…without dealing with me…'

She flew across on silent wings, and Leo followed by swinging up on his rope.

Pulling her wings in, she followed her silent brother in through a door.

They found her in front of a statue of Oroku Saki, and Cat pulled out the plague her youngest brother had always liked.

Throwing it like a shuriken, it hit the pedestal and caught the kunoichi's attention.

Still crouched in the shadows, she stood up a bit straighter.

"Hello, Karai. We got your message."

"Impressive. Security here is pretty…tight…but here you two are...undetected…"

The white-banded turtle moved more into the light, which reflected off Kyana's black fur.

"So, you're the new Shredder…"

"Yes. And your doom."

Karai put on the helmet and unsheathed her katana.

Cat didn't move a muscle.

"Will you be honorable and fight me alone, kunoichi?"

"I'll fight you alone…but you'll wish I hadn't…"

She slid into a stance, not even drawing her weapons.

"…You are a fool!"

The katana came at her, but she pushed it aside, almost dancing away as Karai stumbled.

The katana swung a second time, with much the same result.

"Why do you not fight me? Why do you not attack?"

A smirk grew on Cat's face as she jumped over Karai, kicking her in the back.

"To attack mindlessly is worse than not attacking at all."

Pulling out one blade, she blocked the katana, and did a back flip, kicking Karai under the chin and striking the helmet right off.

"Why you-!"

Karai's strikes became faster, harsher, but Cat just kept dodging, almost dancing around the blade.

She would kick or punch Karai back, but it was obvious she wasn't using her true strength.

The more this happened, the more enraged Karai became, until the white-banded turtle literally grabbed the blade and threw it out of her hands.

A barbed chain came out of the back of Karai's arm like a scorpion's tail, and Cat turned serious.

Grabbing the chain, seemingly unaware of any pain, she pulled Karai through the air.

Her free fist smacked into the older kunoichi's face with more strength, and she flew back.

She was whirled around by the still-attached chain, and Cat jumped up to deliver a powerful roundhouse kick.

The chain snapped, and Karai skidded on her back.

"You vile little-!"

A foot slammed down on her stomach, and Karai choked back the pain.

"You attacked my family, hurt my friends, and call yourself honorable? You question mine? My brother's?"

The eyes were almost glowing red.

"I'd kill you, but you're just not worth it."

"Why are you the judge of that?" Karai spat.

"If you were, I would've actually tried."

Surprise and shock filled the green eyes, as Cat lifted her foot and turned around to face the statue.

"I'll give you the warning I gave your father a million times over…"

She jumped up, claws grown, and slashed at the statue.

She landed easily, pulling them back in as Kyana walked to her side.

"…Stay away from my family…"

The head of the statue slid off, hitting the ground.

The two turtles disappeared like the ninja they were trained to be, and got some Chinese food before heading back to their family.

Before opening the door, Leo put a hand on her shoulder.

"…I'm proud of you, imouto…"

She beamed.

"…Thanks…"

They went inside.

"Did somebody mention food?" Leo joked, pulling out the cartons and throwing them to his brothers.

"Chinese food for breakfast?"

Mikey seemed to think for a moment.

"…Works for me!"

"We checked the place out, sensei. It's rather safe. Maybe we could stay here…fix it up a bit…" Cat suggested, settling down next to Raph with her food.

Splinter seemed to agree, and Yuki jumped onto her lap.

Leaning on the red-banded turtle slightly, she fed bits of her food to the little kitten.

When it didn't seem like Master Splinter or Leo were paying attention, Raph gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Missed ya, love…"

Smiling, she nuzzled his neck.

"I missed you, too…"


	85. Chapter 85

Sitting in an alley while Don rooted through a dumpster was NOT how Cat wanted to spend her evening…

Sitting in an alley while Don rooted through a dumpster was NOT how Cat wanted to spend her evening…

ESPECIALLY once she found out Karai's Foot had not only broken the Battle Nexus Trophy she shared with Mikey, but the kunoichi had CUT her 400 Les Paul Vintage Sunburst guitar into wood shavings…

It took all her brothers and sensei to keep her from going and destroying the whole Foot building…

"Hey, Donnie. Make a little more noise, why don't ya? I don't think they can hear ya in Jersey." Raph stated.

"Do YOU want to come in here and help me find a salvageable transmitter? Please, be my guest!"

"OH…Someone's cranky…"

"Cranky? Do you know how much work I put into the old lair?"

Mikey popped up beside his purple-banded brother.

"I know how you feel, Don. I lost my entire comic book collection."

"I'm lucky I didn't lose that medal the Daimyo gave me last time…" Cat added down-heartedly.

Raph put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"At least yer 'kay."

"Comic books? I had specimens, schematics, all my notes! All the theories April and I were working on!"

"Sh!"

Everyone quieted down at Leo's order, and Kyana, a black alley cat, crouched down in the shadows.

"Disappear." Leo whispered.

They hid in the shadows seamlessly, and Foot ninja jumped over them onto the next rooftop.

One checked, but didn't see anything.

Kyana sniffed the air, and gave a soft meow as signal to break cover.

The dumpster lid was lifted back up.

"Ew…Next time, I get look out duty…" Mikey whined.

Cat came out of the shadows beside the dumpster, and sighed.

"More of Karai's Foot ninja…"

"We should be out huntin' 'em, not the other way 'round!" Raph added.

"We'll handle Karai, Raph. But on our terms, not hers." Leo reasoned.

"We'll handle whatever comes our way."

Mikey and Don jumped out of the dumpster, and Kyana stretched contently.

"Company's coming…let's keep moving."

They followed Leo up the fire escape to the rooftop.

They went to a sewer system closer to they new home, and Mikey seemed in a foul mood.

"Man! This stinks on ice! I miss my room!"

He pouted.

"I had it just right! Fung-shued and everything!"

He started kicking a can as they walked.

"I miss my stuff! I miss my video games! I miss my bed! I miss my blankie-!"

"You still HAVE that?" Cat questioned, quirking an eye-ridge.

"Yeah. So?"

"…Never mind…just…never mind…"

"I need to make one more stop, to see what our favorite junkyard has to offer." Don stated.

Mikey kicked the can down a side-tunnel, and Kyana bristled, becoming a wildcat.

'Kyana? What's up with you?'

'Keep your guard up, Cat.'

That's all the heretsu would say, and it made her more on edge.

'Great…what else is going to happen?'

--

"I'm just saying we shouldn't be so hasty with the room assignments!" Mikey stated as they all crawled out of a small side-tunnel.

"'Cause you got the smallest one!" Raph stated.

"Some people don't like too much room! Come on, Leo! Trade with me! How much space do you really need to meditate and be boring?"

"…Yeah…THAT'S helping your case…" Cat interjected, smiling.

"You're only saying that because you got the biggest one!"

"A girl needs three things. Space, privacy, and a lock on the door. That room just happens to have all three."

"…You don't like it when I barge in, do you?"

"Why do you think I throw lamps at you?"

"…You want to brighten my day?"

She sighed, rubbing at a temple.

"…His stupidity is giving me a headache…"

Something clattered behind Mikey, making him jump, and Kyana hissed.

Don put his flashlight on it, showing it was a can.

The flashlight traveled up, showing what looked like giant…disgusting…bugs…

Silence…

"EW!!"

Cat hid behind her oldest brother.

"Kill them or something!"

She looked up…

And saw another one…

She couldn't help the scream this time, and Kyana became a lioness, roaring.

One fell, heading for Mikey, and Kyana knocked him out of the way.

The creature landed on her, and she became a clouded leopard, sinking her fangs into its neck.

Ripping up, its life came away in her teeth before the others fell into the sewer water.

"They're ticks! …Sort of…" Don informed.

Some jumped at them, and Cat did a hurricane kick, hitting them back.

"Leo! Kitty! You two are all enlightened now! What's the plan?" Mikey questioned.

"Simple and uncomplicated…" Leo stated.

"…RUN!!"

Everyone bolted down the sewer tunnel, but Cat doubted the short-legged creatures could keep up with them.

"Do ya think we lost 'em?"

"Yeah! We're PERFECTLY safe!" Mikey answered sarcastically.

Kyana jumped in front of the turtles as a tigress, snarling, before a strange creature jumped down before them.

"…EW…Why me, lord?"

It hit Kyana and Raph back, and both ran in again.

Ooze squirted from wounds as the thing fell back.

"Bishop's aliens were bad enough, but now this?! At least Foot ninja's got a little more meat ta 'em!!" Raph griped.

Don was studying the newest corpse.

"Look at these tendrils! They're amazing! Gross…but amazing!"

'I have brothers interested in the most DISGUSTING things…'

"Some kind of mutation..." Don muttered, and the others stood behind him.

"Whoa, hold it! WE'RE the mutants in this town! We don't need these butt-uglies steppin' on our turf!"

A sound reached their ears, and the heretsu bristled warily.

"I gotta tell you, I've seen a lot of monster movies." Mikey stated as everyone pulled out their weapons.

"And this kind of thing is NEVER good!"

Even UGLIER monsters came out, and one seemed more human…ish…and must have originally been a cockroach.

Its tentacles made Cat back up, and Kyana snarled savagely.

"…Raphie…could you squish it for me?"

"ME? YER the one wit' the super strength!"

"And YOU'RE the one with pointy sai! This can go on all night!"

A cockroach mutant pounced on the red-banded turtle, hitting him right off his feet.

"RAPHIE!!"

Mikey was ready to attack the one coming at them, but Don stopped him.

"Maybe we should talk to it!"

"Don, it's a giant mutant that will probably try to EAT US! There is NO room for negotiation!" Mikey replied.

The tendrils went at the two, and Cat pulled them out of the way.

"Don't let him hurt you!" She warned.

Her glare turned to the monster.

"And NO ONE tries to turn my brothers into Swiss cheese!"

She pulled out her blades, Kyana a jaguar by her side.

Leo and Raph seemed to be beating up the other two cockroach mutants rather well…

The tendrils flew, and Cat dodged and blocked rather well before it smacked her into a sewer wall.

It went after Mikey next, smacking him away.

Don tried to block, but a tendril grabbed his Bo, twirling him off his feet.

"Donnie!"

Cat got in the way, using a powerful kick to knock the mutant back.

Throwing some shuriken to keep it back for a while longer, she turned to help her brother up.

"Thanks, sis."

"No prob."

"KITTY!! DON!! WATCH OUT!!" Mikey shouted.

Pushing Don out of the way of the tendrils, one managed to cut her forearm before getting Don in the leg.

Kyana snarled, her fangs going through the tendril and ripping it out.

"You okay, Donnie?"

"Yeah, I'm fine…It's just a scratch…"

He smiled slightly.

"Thanks again…"

"What are sisters for?"

She threw her blade, hitting the charging mutant, and jumped over its head.

Kyana pounced, and Raph joined the two in beating it back.

Leo even got behind it and kicked it in the back.

The creature ran in fear once it saw they weren't worth the trouble, and Cat put her blades away before nursing the shall cut on her arm.

"Who's up for getting the shell outta here?!" Mikey asked.

"We gotta go after that…whatever it is!" Raph retorted.

"Let the poor thing go." Cat advised.

"We need to regroup and figure out what's going on." Leo stated.

"Somehow…I don't think we've seen the last of these things…"

They headed home, and Don went to work almost immediately.

Raph fussed over the cut on Cat's arm, but she assured him that it didn't hurt at all.

"Ya sure?"

"I'm pretty sure…"

"Not completely?"

"Raphie, I love you to death, but you're starting to get on my last nerve…"

"I'm just worried 'bout ya…"

"There's nothing to be worried about. Some bandages is all it needs. It'll be gone in a few days tops."

"Maybe…"

"See? Not everything requires the cavalry."

"Actually…I…uh…"

"What is it?"

"I…got this fer ya…"

"What is it-? …Oh my gosh…"

A huge grin crossed her face, and she hugged the turtle tight.

"A guitar?! I love it!!"

"Yeah. Felt bad 'bout not bein' able ta save yer other ones, so…"

"Thank you-Thank you-THANK YOU!"

She looked like Mikey when he'd had a bowl of sugar.

It was the same model as the one she'd treasured for three years.

"Yer welcome, love."

She nuzzled his neck, still grinning.

"You're the best boyfriend EVER…"

"It's easy when ya got the best girlfriend ever…"

"Awww…that's sweet!"

She looked up.

"That deserves a kiss."

"Well, then its my lucky day…"

"Hey, love birds! Before you play tonsil hockey, Don's got something to say."

Both glared at their orange-banded brother.

"…What?"

"What's the news, Donnie?" Cat asked, reluctantly releasing the red-banded turtle.

"I got a sample from one of the ticks Raph took out. Something about the ooze was familiar. I compared it to data I had on my PDA from a while back, and I was right!"

"Right about what? Your theory?" Leo asked, walking up.

"Bishop. DNA from Bishop's aliens mixed with these creatures. And it looks like it's somehow spreading…If that's the case, it's only going to get worse. A LOT worse."

Cat rolled her eyes, rubbing the spot between her eyes to help the migraine she was sure was forthcoming.

"Why can't life stay normal for more than five seconds?"

"'Cause we're mutant turtles?" Mikey suggested.

"…I'm going to take a nice LONG shower…I hope the world will be normal by the time I come out…"

Kyana became a jackal, following her body.

'I'll die of high blood pressure, I just KNOW it…'


	86. Chapter 86

"Know what April's gonna do when she finds out we broke through a wall

"Know what April's gonna do when she finds out we broke through a wall?"

The four brothers shrugged.

"…I'm gonna tell her to hit you guys first…"

"Guys?"

The five turtles turned around.

"April!"

The red-head hugged each turtle in turn, before looking at the wall.

"What did you do to my wall?"

"Donnie found an old map that showed an abandoned tunnel near your place. A little digging, and here we are." Leo explained.

They went up to her apartment to talk.

"We had to find a way to meet you without being spotted." Cat stated.

"Yeah, especially when Karai, 'little miss Shredder', showed up at your shop." Mikey added.

Cat started rubbing at the bandages on her arm, about to scratch when Kyana growled, nipping at her fingers as a wildcat.

"OW! KYANA…"

"What happened to you two?" April asked.

"Just a bug bite…" Don assured.

"From a REALLY big bug…" Raph added.

A knock at the door, and the five turtles were hidden from sight.

It turned out to be April's sister, Robin.

Once April coaxed the other woman into her bedroom so she could make coffee, they jumped down the stairs to get out of her hair.

Back at the lair, Cat was cuddled up with Raph for a movie.

"NO mushy stuff!"

"…Okay…'Romeo and Juliet'."

"NO!"

"There's fighting with swords and poison and death! We both get what we want!"

"…Swordfighting?"

She nodded, giving her best puppy-dog eyes as Kyana became a little beagle.

"…Aw, fine…"

She grinned, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks!"

More than two hours later, the movie was nearing its end.

"…That was so sad…"

"Why do ya watch this movie if it makes ya feel bad?"

"It's romantic! Both were willing to give up their lives in order to stay with each other for eternity!"

"…SAPPY…"

She punched his arm lightly.

"What? You're saying you wouldn't risk your life if I died?"

"Never said that. Never thought I wouldn't."

She smiled.

"Same here."

"Awww…Ain't that sweet?"

Both rolled their eyes.

"Mikey…"

"What? Were you two about to start swapping spit?"

A pillow smacked him in the face.

"You're just jealous ya don't have a girl." Raph stated.

"I could get a girl!"

"Aw…of COURSE you could!"

"…You're making fun of me, aren't you?"

Cat grinned.

"Yep."

"Well…at least I'm not with a hot head!"

"…You know what would be ironic…if you were…"

Mikey put on a mock-angry face.

"I don't need this! Good NIGHT!"

He stomped out, and she shook her head in amusement.

"You've gotta give him credit for being the funny one…"

"But he sure ain't the cute one…"

"Well, he was…when he was REAL little…"

"I always thought ya were the cute one…"

She gave him a peck.

"You're just saying that…"

"Now why would I do that?"

"'Cause you want a kiss…"

"Good point…"

"Well, you deserve something…"

"What's going on here?!"

The shock made Cat fall off the couch and land on her shell.

"OW!!"

Sitting up and rubbing her head, Kyana became a martin, jumping onto her shoulders.

"Oh, uh…hi, Leo…"

He crossed his arms, and she saw the defensive look in Raph's eyes.

"Caterina…"

"I, uh…ya know, it's really late. I think I'll just go to bed-."

Leo grabbed her shoulder, turning her around.

"Cat-!"

"What? So I was watching 'Romeo and Juliet' with my brother! So I was cuddling with him! Is it really that bad?"

"…You were about to kiss…"

"…Uh…I can explain that…"

"Ya don't have ta explain anythin'!" Raph growled, standing.

"Raph-!"

Cat got between the two brothers.

"He deserves to know what's going on!"

"But-!"

"Just let me talk." She soothed.

With a soft growl, he backed up, and she turned to her older brother.

"Me and Raph are…together…We've been together since the first time we fought the Shredder…"

"…The others-?"

"Found out already. Except Master Splinter."

She sighed.

"Please don't tell him…"

Leo looked unsure.

"But…"

"Please. When he finds out, we want to be the ones to tell him…Please, aniki?"

Being a little sister had it's advantages, especially since her oldest brother could never say no to the puppy-dog eyes.

"…Okay…but I've got one thing I need to say."

"What?"

"…How, um…ya know…far have you two…you know…"

"LEO!"

Blushing, she pushed him.

"Not even!"

"What made ya think we would've?" Raph asked, as red as his mask.

"Well…paranoia…"

Cat rolled her eyes, and Kyana brought her face out from behind Cat's neck.

"Let's just have an agreement that you won't tell Master Splinter and WE won't do THAT. Okay?"

"That's a good idea…"

Raph sighed, pulling her into a hug.

"Well, she's full 'a 'em…"

With a grin, she nodded.

"That's me. An inexhaustible well of good ideas. Well, gotta go!"

She gave Raph a peck on the cheek.

"My bed is calling me. Night!"

She headed for her new room, swallow Kyana on her shoulder.

'Wonder where Don went…'


	87. Chapter 87

Hunting crazy mutants…

Hunting crazy mutants…

NOT a good way to start the day…

Cat jumped back as one jumped for her, and shot a couple darts into its neck.

It reared for a moment in shock, but stayed down when Kyana pounced on its back and made it slam into the floor.

She saw Mikey running around, not wanting to get eaten by a strange mutated toad…thing…

"Somebody get the tranq!"

Rolling her eyes, she fired, and the creature fell onto its side in surprise.

"…Good aim…"

"No prob. Playing first-person shooters with you since we were little has finally come in handy."

"Thank you, violent video games!"

"I think that's enough monster hunting for one day." Leo stated.

"Let's head home."

They jumped over the subway tracks before the next train raced by, and Kyana jumped into Cat's arms as an ocelot.

"I get to choose what we have for dinner!"

"PIZZA!"

"I said it was MY choice!"

"But you always choose something bad!"

SMACK!!

"OW!! KITTY…"

"THAT'S what happens when you question my choice in food!"

--

"I'm heading over to April's!" Cat informed.

"Yer gonna spy on 'er an' Casey, huh?"

"Yep."

"…Be sure ta tell me the details…"

She kissed him goodbye.

"Planning on it…"

She headed to her friends house, and heard something shatter in the apartment.

'APRIL! CASEY!'

Kyana jumped up as a leopard, Cat close behind, and looked in the window.

An unconscious April on the floor, a beat up Casey against the wall…

'Did Stockman become Dr. Frankenstein and piece his own body together? DAMN!'

He lifted April up, and started walking out.

'SHELL NO!'

She tried to open the window, but it was as stubborn as Mikey and detaching him from his video games.

Stockman's was gone before she finally got it open, and she jumped in. \

"Casey!"

Shaking him awake, she brought out her Shell Cell.

"…Hello?"

"Donnie! It's Stockman! He came and took April! Beat up Casey pretty bad, too…Hurry!"

"Hang tight, imouto! We're on our way!"

She led Casey outside, and looked at the vehicle her brothers were driving.

"…Um…"

"Not now! Come on!"

Casey got his gear and they headed out, Casey explaining what had happened.

"Why didn't ya go in there, Kitten?"

"Let's just say April needs to oil her windows or something…that thing was stuck worse than Mikey on his video games!"

"We need to go to StockTronics. The lab where Stockman and April first worked together." Leo ordered.

They managed to get into the building rather quickly, and, with Kyana's sense of smell, find April and Stockman.

"April!"

Kyana jumped in front of the woman as a jaguar, snarling, as Cat moved to her side.

"Run, April." She ordered.

Her friend obeyed, heading out the door they'd opened.

"She can't leave! I forbid it!"

"Well, some orders shouldn't be followed." She retorted, pulling out her blades.

Let's just say Stockman was MUCH stronger than he looked…

'Well, so am I…'

Jumping to her feet, she stopped one of Stockman's punches, kicking him back.

Kyana pounced on him, knocking him off his feet, but she was grabbed by the neck and thrown into a wall.

Cat winced, feeling the pain, and was back-handed into a wall.

"OW…"

Rubbing her now red cheek, she saw him run out after April.

Standing up, she helped up the others before they ran outside.

"Where'd they go?" Casey questioned.

"Maybe we should split up…" Mikey suggested.

"Or, better yet, search from the air." Don stated, seeing a helicopter.

All six of them piled in, and the chopper flew off.

When Cat started fidgeting, Raph tried to calm her down.

"It's 'kay, Kitten…"

"Would it be okay if I feel it isn't? Something's wrong!"

Kyana kept changing forms so fast, Mikey's head reeled trying to keep up.

Lynx-Beagle-Hawk-Shark-Dragon-Tiger-Golden Retriever-Ocelot-Wildcat-Osprey-Wolf-Jackal-Leopard-Jaguar-Lion-Martin.

THAT'S when they saw the gondola, Stockman on top, ripping at the ceiling.

"There!"

The helicopter floated overhead, hitting Stockman with it's spotlight.

After Casey, Raph, Mikey, and Leo had gone down on the rope Casey had secured around Stockman, Cat pulled out her wings.

Swooping down, she caught April as Stockman tried to throw her to the gondola roof.

"Hey! That's no way to treat a lady!"

Her tail blocked his next strike, and her wings flapped hard enough to make him fly back a bit.

He fell into the machine, and the others joined them on the roof.

"We've got to get out of here!" Leo ordered.

The four turtles and Casey started climbing up to reach the rope, and Cat was about to take off when something grabbed her tail.

She was swung into the very mechanism that supported them, but she managed to shield her friend from the force.

The whole thing was barely hanging by a thread, and Cat sat up with a groan.

Kyana hissed, wrapping around her neck.

"Now we can set things right…"

"Please, don't do this, Dr. Stockman!" April pleaded as Cat tried to spread her sore wings.

"Can't you remember when your work HELPED people? When it was about the science? You were a brilliant man! The sky was the limit for you, Dr. Stockman!"

The man stopped, as if the words had gotten through to him.

"Momma?"

'Well, I always thought he was crazy…'

April still tried to get through to him, standing up as her friend got ready for take off.

The whole thing shook as it threatened to make them all fall into the river, and April fell back.

Cat was hovering, and was ready to pick her friend up when Stockman did, actually handing the red-head to her.

Taking April, she nodded slightly in understanding.

'He realizes what he's been doing was wrong…though I'm not sure how…'

She started flying up when the whole gondola fell, splashing into the water.

Landing in the open doorway, she put April down.

"Man…do you think that's the end of Stockman?" Mikey asked.

"We've seen him come back from worse…only time will tell…" Leo answered.

Cat pulled in her wings and tail, and looked down.

'If you didn't make it…I hope you at least join your mother…wherever she is…'


	88. Chapter 88

"I'm tellin' ya right now…this ain't a good idea…"

"I'm tellin' ya right now…this ain't a good idea…"

"Raph's right. I've got a BAD feeling about this…"

"Will both of you stop whining? SHEESH!"

Cat folded her arms over her covered chest.

"Yeah. What are you talking about? This is going to be great!" Don added.

"How can you not be excited about being in a museum?"

The red and orange-banded turtles shared a glance.

"BORING…" They chimed in unison.

"You won't think that when we get to the main attraction." Don assured.

Kyana snuggled into the inside of Cat's coat as a kitten, purring.

"Is it a snack bar? 'Cause THAT I could get excited about!" Mikey stated.

They walked past exhibits, and Cat's senses picked up the few humans around.

"The museum is closing in twenty minutes, so there aren't a lot of people…just try to keep a low profile-."

She stopped, feeling a familiar tingling that always said she was about to sneeze.

'Aw shell…'

The others stopped.

"Cat? Donnie?" April questioned worriedly.

Both turtles sneezed at the same time, and while Don's echoed off the walls, Cat literally FLEW through the air from the force.

Landing on her shell, she groaned in pain and sniffled.

"Kitten!"

Raph was at her side in a moment.

"Ya 'kay?"

"…Except for my shell, my head, and my nose…I should be fine…"

Kyana popped her little ruffled head out, meowing cutely and shaking her head.

She saw Mikey's smiling face.

"Is that what you meant by low profile?"

SMACK!!

"OW!! My nose!!"

"You asked for it…" Cat muttered as she stood up, rejoining the group as they continued towards an exhibit.

"You okay, Cat? You've been a bit under the weather…"

"I could say the same for you, Donnie. I just have the sniffles, is all."

"Same here. But it wasn't bad enough to miss seeing THIS."

The exhibit was full of dinosaur skeletons, including the T-Rex, and bunches of vegetation here and there.

Inconspicuously, Cat tried to cover her nose.

The smell of old bones seemed to unsettle her stomach, and Kyana hissed softly.

'What's up with you now? You can't scare a smell away.'

'It's not that…it's something else…'

'…Oh GREAT…'

"Isn't this fantastic? It's the biggest dinosaur exhibit in the country!"

"YEAH…This is SO much better than playing video games and reading comic books…THANKS, Don." Mikey replied sarcastically.

SMACK!!

"OW!!"

"Learn something instead of rotting your brain, you little shell-for-brains!"

"That was uncalled for, Kitty…"

"I'll show YOU uncalled for-!!"

"Ya know, it's not too late ta ditch this place and find someone ta fight. Bishop's monsters are still out there. Fightin' 'em would be less painful than this."

SMACK!!

"OW!! KITTEN!!"

"See, Mikey? THAT'S what 'uncalled for' is meant to describe."

"Ha-Ha…I almost fergot ta laugh…"

Cat couldn't help a giggle.

"You're such a hot-head…keep your shell on, tough guy. We're only gonna be here twenty minutes."

"Look! There's a stegosaurus! And a pterandon skeleton!" Don pointed out.

"Look! There's a nerdosaur!" Mikey joked.

"An' I see a geekasaurus rex." Raph added.

SMACK!!

SMACK!!

"OWWWWWWWWWWW!!" Both whined in unison.

"I've been a dinosaur fanatic for as long as I can remember…cool fossils, all the different species…the mystery of their extinction…What's not to like? I mean, as turtles, we have ancestors going way back, even before the Cretaceous period."

"So dinosaurs are like our ancient cousins?"

"Right, Cat."

"YEESH…And I thought RAPH was the ugliest relative we had!"

"Hardy-Har, Mikey…"

There was a roar, and a dinosaur popped its head out of the bushes behind the two turtles.

They jumped, turning around and pulling out their weapons.

"Mikey! Raph! Take it easy!" Leo whispered.

"Did I mention the animatronics exhibit?" Don stated.

"They're state-of-the-art."

"Look, bro. Chickenasaurus'…" Cat joked, grinning.

The bushes rustled again, and the two turtles moved away again.

Don turned around to the largest skeleton.

"And there's the king. The Tyrannosaurus Rex."

"I'd hate to run into THAT in a dark alley…" Mikey admitted.

"I could take him."

"Kitty, I know you've beaten people bigger than you, but a T-Rex is a little out of your league…"

Cat glared lightly.

"Well, I'll show you someday…"

"Just imagine what it must've been like back then…Herds of dinosaurs grazing peacefully, then 'THOOM', 'THOOM'. The T-Rex attacks!"

The skeleton behind the purple-banded turtle began to glow, moving.

"Uh, Donnie…that's a robot, right?" Cat questioned, stepping back as Kyana became a martin, poking her head out under the turtle's chin.

"What?"

He turned, and the skeleton seemed to look right at them.

"Uh…no…no it's not."

They stepped back as it seemed to roar, and the few people there fled.

The skeleton stepped onto the ground, and it seemed to break apart and surround them in a whirlwind.

An evil laughter filled the air, making her skin prickle and Kyana hiss warningly.

"I'm guessing this isn't part of the exhibit…" Leo stated.

"I think that's a good assumption…"

The bones reassembled themselves into a somewhat familiar face, and Cat put her hands on her blades.

"Greetings from the Cretaceous, you miserable reptiles." It greeted in a familiar voice.

'Savanti Romero…I'm sure of it…'

The large head laughed darkly.

"Fitting I should find you freaks here with the dinosaurs! For soon, you too will be extinct!"

"That's Savanti Romero!"

"Savanti Romero? Didn't you guys tell me he was banished millions of years in the past?" April questioned.

"That's what we thought…" Leo stated.

"There's nowhere you can hide from my magic! Even from the past, I can find you and give you this message of your impending, inevitable doom!"

"…Why do we always get the nut-jobs? Isn't it bad enough he gets banished TWICE, but NOW he wants to kill us?"

Cat smacked her forehead.

"MEN…"

"A message of doom…when you care enough to send the best!" Mikey joked.

"You should never have interfered with my plans to capture the Time Scepter. And now, you will pay!"

The head moved closer, and they backed up accordingly.

"Mark my words, turtles. Everything you know, everything you care about, I will erase! From the past, I will destroy your futures! I will deal with Lord Simultaneous and his apprentice soon enough…but wiping out your entire timeline will be a good start to my revenge!"

"Enough 'a this noise! Bring it on, bonehead!" Raph challenged, sai drawn.

The head laughed again.

"Should you like to try and stop me, I'll be waiting in the Ring of Fire!"

"Hey! I'm talkin' ta ya-!"

Raph jumped, but the bones fell before he made contact.

"…I can't take you guys anywhere…" April joked.

"It's not us. Blame the psychos." Cat replied, smiling.

"Did you notice how he didn't respond to Raph? It was weird…like a recording…or a time capsule…" Don mused.

"Like he knew we would be here tonight…and enchanted those bones from the past…"

'It's possible…the Ancient One taught me some 'spells' that could do that…but he mainly taught me more instantaneous ones…'

"If he tries to wipe us out, he'll be wishing he'd never met me. Right, Kyana?"

Said heretsu became a wildcat, hissing in agreement.

"THAT'S my girl…"

"Look!"

Everyone turned to see Don pointing to a map, which had red dots on it in a circle…

Or a ring…

"This was the Ring of Fire he mentioned. It's a string of volcanoes that surround the entire Pacific ocean. From Japan to Alaska."

"Well, that narrows it down." Leo noted.

"How are we supposed to get to him, anyway? It's not like we can time travel." Cat stated.

A portal opened in front of the map they'd been looking at, and everyone backed up, shielding their eyes.

"Hi, guys!"

"…Renet?"

Cat blinked owlishly, tilting her head curiously.

"But…the Time Scepter…"

She sighed.

'I HATE time travel…'

"Oh, wow! It's like, so great to see you guys again!"

She hugged Leo in greeting, and Cat quirked an eye-ridge.

"I can't believe its, like, been so long! Well, it seems like a long time. But in Null Time, you never know."

"This can't be a coincidence…" Don mused.

"Renet, what are you doing here?"

"I'm graduating! Well, at least I am if I pass my final exam. Lord Simultaneous says that this chrono-crisis is my final, so I'm, like, so totally stressed. And if-…no, not if…WHEN I pass, I'll go from apprentice to tempral infraction extracator first grade!"

Silence…

"But if Lord Simultaneous KNOWS what's going on, why doesn't he FIX IT!" Cat huffed, crossing her arms.

"Well…because…I'M supposed to do it! It's my final exam! And I came to see if you guys wanted to help."

Silence…

"…Guys, huddle."

'Boys and football…'

Kyana shook her head slightly, becoming a ferret and hiding in Cat's jacket again.

"I don't WANNA…" She whined softly, puppy-dog eyes in place.

"It's the only way."

"But-."

"No."

"BUT-."

"NO."

"B-But…"

She even pouted.

"Please, aniki? I never ask for ANYTHING…"

"You just don't want to fight a T-Rex 'cause you KNOW you'll lose!" Mikey teased.

"…Let's go…"

"Okay. Besides, we can't let Renet go alone." Don noted.

"Yeah. Or little Miss Tick-Tock o'er there could mess it up fer all 'a us." Raph stated.

Leo turned to Renet.

"We'll go with you, Renet. We'll help in any way we can."

"YES. Now this'll be a breeze! I've gotten, like, REALLY good with the Time Scepter! Here we go!"

Cat hugged Kyana closer to her.

'Not again…why me?'

April stated that she just wanted to be dropped off at home, since a trip to dinosaur land wasn't on her list of things to do.

There was a bright light from the Time Scepter, and they fell to the ground in the Cretaceous period.

Kyana jumped to the ground, and stretched, becoming a large panther.

"Hey! I thought ya said ya were gettin' better with that thing!" Raph griped.

"I am!"

Cat looked around at the land below them, with volcanoes, forest, water and dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes in view.

"Wow! I can't believe I actually did it!"

"Should we be worried that she sounds so surprised?" Mikey asked, and Cat smiled.

"Maybe…"

Don was amazed to see the dinosaurs, and Kyana snarled when she saw a carnivorous reptile look their way.

It ran off at the warning sound, and Cat shook her head slightly.

"Stay alert, guys. Don't wanna be a snack…"

"I ain't afraid 'a no prehistoric dino-brain!" Raph stated, drawing his sai.

"Raph, they're all bigger than you…" Cat reasoned.

"Much…MUCH bigger…"

Don started lecturing that they shouldn't change the past, and how it could affect the future and that they shouldn't leave anything behind…

Then he sneezed…

"Bless you." Cat stated, then a surprise sneeze caught her off-guard and she flew through the air.

"…Damn colds…" She muttered, sniffling before sitting up.

She shook her head, and Kyana gave a small sneeze of her own, shaking her head free of the feeling.

"So…are we packing?"

She smiled sheepishly, and shrugged off the clothes.

Using vines and such, they made packs and put them on their shells.

Don found a large stick to take place of his Bo staff, and they were ready to go.

"Let's get moving." Leo ordered.

Kyana became a white may, silver mane and tail looking only slightly darker.

Cat jumped onto her heretsu's back, and she started trotting.

"…Can I get on, Kitty?"

The white-banded turtle looked down at her youngest brother.

"…No…"

"WHY?"

"Because you'll weigh her down."

Kyana neighed, looking as if she was laughing at the joke.

Don tried to talk again, but another echoed sneeze cut him off.

Kyana started, and snorted slightly as Cat tried to calm her down.

A rumbling reached her ears, and Kyana stopped as a vibration went through her hard hoofs.

"Guys…"

Dust appeared on the horizon, showing a herd of dinosaur running straight for them.

"STAMPEDE!"

Her heretsu reared, neighing, and turned around.

Galloping ahead of the herd, Cat looked back for her brothers and Renet.

"Guys! Don't get stomped on!"

Kyana neighed, speeding up.

This break-neck speed made Cat grip the silver mane tighter, trying not to fly off.

Raph and Mikey managed to jump on two dinosaur's backs, and then onto a small rock cliff.

"Kyana!"

The heretsu caught on immediately, becoming a horse-sized dragon and flying up.

They landed as Leo joined them, and they saw Don heading for them with Renet over his shoulders.

"Donnie! Over here!"

He jumped for it, but almost fell back before they grabbed him, pulling him up to safety.

"Well, that was fun…in a scary, almost-lost-your-life kind of way!" Mikey stated.

"Yeah. REALLY nice save wit' the Time Scepter." Raph complained.

"Uh…"

Kyana became an ocelot, jumping into Cat's arms as they all stared at the girl before them.

"It's not my fault! The Time Scepter's not working!"

"And let me guess…we're stuck 'ere…" Raph stated, looking annoyed.

"…I don't know what happened…"

Cat smacked her forehead, and Kyana shook her head as well.

"Here…let me take a look at it…" Don offered.

"Maybe something happened during the stampede…"

Raph jumped slightly.

"Hey!"

Cat smiled at the Triceratops there.

'It's like a puppy…'

"Hey there, big guy…"

She patted its head soothingly, and Mikey joined her.

"I think he likes you, Raphie…" She joked.

"You should embrace this! Not many people think you smell good!" Mikey added.

Raph grumbled something, and checked his pack.

"Missin' somethin'?"

"What?" Mikey asked.

"This." Raph stated, pulling out a bag of chips.

"Uh…I always keep a spare bag of chips around. You never know when you might need a snack."

The bag was thrown at his face…

The dinosaur seemed to want the chips, and Cat pet its forehead as Mikey opened the bag.

He threw a few, and the dinosaur opened its mouth to catch them.

"I'm going to call you Zog! Maybe your Zog's great-great-great-great grandpappy!"

"Zog was an alien, Mikey. And I don't need to tell you that you could've changed all of human history by feeding that dinosaur potato chips from the future!"

Cat looked up.

"Loosen up, Donny. You'll hurt Zog's feelings."

Don smacked his forehead.

"Not you, too!"

Cat pouted.

"What? He's cute! Like a really big puppy!"

"I think the Time Scepter is over-heating…it's not supposed to glow red." Renet stated, when the Time Scepter glowed for a moment.

Suddenly, it was like Zog sensed something, and looked to her right.

Cat's brow furrowed as she sensed something, and Kyana bristled.

"What is it, Zog?" Mikey asked, using 'baby talk'.

Seeing the red-eyed dinosaur charge, she pulled out her blades as Kyana became a jaguar.

More followed it, and she straightened, pulling out her wings and tail.

Don basically explained what the dinosaurs were capable of, and Mikey shook.

"Ya know, being a dino-fanatic was a lot more endearing when we weren't about to be eaten by actual dinosaurs!"

"Anything else we need ta know?" Raph asked gruffly.

"Yeah…"

One jumped up, landing in front of them.

"THEY CAN JUMP!"

Don picked up Renet, running off with Leo and Mikey, and Cat spread her wings.

Kyana snarled, crouching down and baring her fangs at the larger creature.

"Raph, it might be best if you don't let him bite you…"

"Ya think?"

She rolled her eyes, catching the dinosaur by its closed jaws and throwing it over her shoulder.

With a grin, she spun around on her heel and threw the dinosaur through the air.

It smacked into a tree.

"Yes! LOSER!"

"Come on, Kitten!"

She nodded.

"Let's go!"

Spreading her wings and letting Raph grip her shell, she took off.

Kyana became a hawk, flying after her.

They joined up with the others to see that the dinosaurs had run off, and Zog had been like a guard dog, protecting Don and Renet.

"Aren't you a good boy?" Cat stated, patting his head as she folded her wings.

"Do ya think we scared 'em off?" Raph questioned.

"Nope." Leo replied.

"…Ya think somethin' really horrible is comin' now?"

"…Yep."

The ground began to shake in a rhythm, like…

'Footsteps…'

"Whatever it is, it's big…" Don noted.

Trees began falling down, as if something still hidden in the shadows was knocking them out of their way.

"Is it friendly?" Mikey asked.

A final tree fell, showing a T-Rex, Savanti on his shoulder.

"…No, Mikey…I don't think he's friendly…"

The other dinosaurs came out from behind it, and Cat pulled out fingerless gloves that she'd made from a tough leather.

Pulling them on tight, she kept a steady gaze on the large reptiles.

"Welcome, turtles! To your extinction!"

He laughed darkly, and Kyana bristled.

"Don't be so sure of that, demon-boy." She retorted, crouching down.

The T-Rex started stomping towards them, and she grinned.

'I'm about to prove Mikey wrong…again…'


	89. Chapter 89

"You, Renet

"You, Renet. Hand over the Time Scepter, or your little green friends will become dino-food."

Cat turned around, and held up a hand.

"Lightning Sphere jutsu!"

The two dinosaurs coming for Don and Mikey were blasted back.

"WHOA…COOL…"

She turned to Savanti.

"You think I can't take on these little pipsqueaks? Why not actually try?"

She flexed her fingers, feeling the leather creak.

"Give me your best shot, demon-boy…"

The T-Rex roared, charging, and Mikey's jaw dropped.

"K-Kitty, now might not be the time to prove me wrong!"

"Step back, otouto." She warned.

Using chakra to anchor her feet to the ground, she held up her hands.

She managed to grab the bottom and top of the T-Rex's massive jaws, and didn't move.

With a smirk, she snapped the jaws shut herself and flipped the T-Rex in the air so it landed on its side.

Using all her strength, she whirled around, throwing the dinosaur through quite a few trees.

"YES! Me four hundred, Mikey ZERO!"

"…You don't have to rub the score in my face…"

"You DARE defy me?!"

"I'd say… 'Yes'…"

Kyana, as a jaguar, tried to pounce on Romero from behind, but he blasted her away.

Cat winced, but pulled out her blades.

"What? Was that the best you've got?"

His strange staff glowed, summoning flying dinosaurs.

"Get the Time Scepter, my pets!"

She spread her wings, flying and grabbing hold of Renet safely.

Landing on the ground, she shielded her with her wings.

"This is gonna be a breeze, huh?"

"…Sorry?"

Something smacked into her shell, setting her off-balance, and Renet lost her grip on the Time Scepter.

"RENET!" Cat scolded, reaching for it, when a flying dinosaur picked it up first.

"SHELL no!"

She looked at the Timestress.

"YOU stay near Zog!"

Spreading her wings, she took off, and Kyana joined her as an eagle.

Unfortunately, Savanti got it before either got there, and he blasted them back.

Cat flew head-over-heels in the air, trying to stabilize, when something grabbed her wings.

"HEY!"

Kyana cawed at the large winged reptile, but another grabbed her, pinning her wings to her sides.

"Kyana!"

Cat struggled, her scales bristling and her feet and arms lashing out.

"Kitten!"

"Raph!"

She would've grabbed the creature by the neck, but another rammed into her side, crushing her injured arm and knocking the breath out of her.

The pain burned, searing through her veins and reaching her brain in sparks of black.

She heard Renet's scream, and struggled to stay conscious.

It was futile, and she shut her eyes, her world going dark…

She woke up chained to a pillar of bones on a structure of bones, with Renet in the center, chained up as well.

'I hate bones…'

She looked down to see Kyana in a cage, using her wildcat teeth to try and break free.

She nearly cursed when she felt another sneeze coming on…

"Ah-CHOO!!"

She flew back, her shell hitting the bones and causing them to break apart.

Basically, she was under a pile of dead bones now…

"EW!"

Jumping up and out, she landed on her shell, trying to breathe fresh air.

"So you're awake, dragon/turtle…"

She glared at Savanti, standing.

"Yeah. And now I'm gonna kick your sorry butt back to the Big Bang!"

The Time Scepter blasted her in the chest, and she flew back, nearly over the edge.

"Ow…"

Suddenly, the bones moved, coming up and pinning her arms to her sides and her feet to the 'floor'.

"The spells are cast…nothing can stop me now!"

"Savanti!"

Everyone looked up.

"Leo!"

"Let them go, demon!"

"Or else." Raph added.

"Well, do something quick! He's going to destroy the timeline and Renet!"

Cat didn't listen as Savanti 'monologued', and tried to free herself.

Kyana became a lioness, breaking free of her cage, and Cat just cursed and used her strength to break the bones down.

Savanti used his magic to make an armor of dead bone, and Cat cracked her knuckles.

"Let's have some fun!"

"Oh, I know I'LL have fun…"

Thunder flashed through the red clouds, and she crouched down, wings close to her shell and tail flicking from side to side.

"We don't have time for this! Leo, get the Time Scepter!"

"HEY!"

"…And save Renet!" Don added.

Cat rolled her eyes, pouncing on Savanti and digging her claws through his armor.

She was tossed off, landing on her feet, when she saw Savanti knock Raph right over the edge.

"RAPH!"

With a savage snarl, she knocked Savanti over and put her blade at his throat.

Don went to work freeing Renet, as Cat and Romero wrestled and fought, trying to keep the upper-hand.

"The Time Scepter!"

Don was blasted back by the Time Scepter's power, and Cat was thrown onto her shell.

"Enough games!"

He used a spell to keep them from moving, but he didn't get Don.

He released Renet and used his 'Bo' to break the Time Scepter free.

Savanti jumped to catch it, but a bolt of energy hit him and the scepter.

Shielding their eyes from the bright light, they saw him fall into the water below with it.

"Ouch…" Mikey muttered.

"Donnie, you saved me! You saved all of humanity! And most importantly, I get to graduate! YES!" Renet cheered.

The whole thing started shaking, and Kyana jumped into Cat's arms as a wildcat.

"What now?" Raph griped.

"Savanti's power must have been holding this thing together! Everybody off!" Leo ordered.

Everyone obeyed, running off the bones, when they started disintegrating under their feet.

Spreading her wings, Cat tried to grab them, and Kyana became a dragon and caught Renet.

Unfortunately, the added weight of four turtles was too much for her wings, and they fell into the water.

She surfaced, sputtering.

"I can't keep doing this…"

They got to the shore, and Cat plopped down.

"Well, we saved the future…which means that the asteroid WILL hit now…I don't know when…three weeks…three months…three years, even!"

Cat groaned, lying on her shell.

"And without the Time Scepter, we're doomed…" Raph stated.

"Trapped and doomed…NICE…"

--

Three long months…

Kyana stretched as a bobcat, dozing near the fire.

'It's been so long…'

Cat looked up when Mikey and Renet returned with a large fish for dinner, which Mikey set about preparing it.

Renet sat with the others around the fire with the others.

"And you're SURE there's no way for you to contact Lord Simultaneous?" Don questioned.

"You'd think he'd come looking for you after three months…" Leo stated.

"For, like, the bazillionth time, NO! When are you going to give it a rest?"

"Hey! I haven't even gotten STARTED yet, little Miss 'It'll be a breeze'!" Raph stated.

"No way!"

Cat looked in her youngest brothers direction.

"I…I don't believe it…"

Her eyes widened.

"Oh my gosh…"

"The Time Scepter!"

They all stood up as Mikey came forward with the device.

"It was inside the fish! It must've swallowed it!"

"Now we can go home!" Cat cheered.

"Whoa! Slow down, sis! I'm just saying…We've got dinner on the grill…no need to rush."

SMACK!!

"OW!!"

He saw the glares aimed at him…

"Alright, I'm packed! Let's go!"

They were dropped off back at the lair, and April seemed confused.

Cat walked past tiredly, saying, "TRUST me…you probably don't want to know…"

Kyana yawned.

'Next time Renet says something will be a breeze…bring a tank…'


	90. Chapter 90

Cat watched as Mikey slept on the couch, the light from the lamp showing his peaceful features

Cat watched as Mikey slept on the couch, the light from the lamp showing his peaceful features.

She couldn't help a soft smile, and she scooped him up, carrying him to his bed.

Pulling the covers over him, she picked up a few comics from the floor and put them on a nightstand.

'Him and his comic book marathons…'

Her bandaged arm itched, and she absentmindedly scratched it before it heading out to the kitchen.

She saw a nearly asleep Don trying to start the coffee machine, and she nearly laughed.

"Donnie…"

He jumped, turning around.

"Oh…Kitty…what are you doing up so late?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing…"

She noted the bags under his eyes and his slight shaking.

"You should go to bed…"

"I'm not tired…I'll be fine…"

"Now, I won't have any of that." She said sternly, picking up a protesting Don.

"Kitty…I'm fine…" He insisted, already starting to fall asleep.

"Just go to sleep, bro. Even the best need some shut-eye." She soothed, and beagle Kyana lifted her head from the bed they'd made for her and the kittens in the living room.

"But…I've got to…"

"Whatever you need to do will still be there tomorrow." She assured, carefully setting him on his bed.

"O-Okay…" He mumbled sleepily, and he was soon asleep.

She smiled, pulling up the covers and clearing away some of the dishes and coffee mugs littering the desks.

'Just need to clean these dishes and I'll go to bed…' She promised herself, heading for the kitchen sink.

After washing the dishes, she headed for bed.

She stopped, however, when she saw Leo training in the dojo.

Shaking her head slightly, she headed for him.

"Hey, Leo."

"Hey."

She leaned against a wall.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"Yeah."

He didn't stop until the kata was finished.

"…I'll go to bed soon…I promise…"

"I won't go to bed until you do, so YOU are going to bed." Cat replied stubbornly.

"…You need your sleep…you're pushing yourself too much…"

"I'm fine." She insisted.

"I just want to go to bed."

"Then why is your arm still hurt?"

She shrugged.

"Guess it was deeper than I thought. No big."

"And your cold?"

"I haven't flown into any walls, if that's what you're asking."

Leo sighed, turning to face her.

"You do too much around here."

"I do my fair share. I've always done it."

"You do more than your fair share." He insisted, sighing.

"…I guess I've really looked at us lately…at how we all interact and how we deal with things…and I realize we've taken you for granted…"

"You guys haven't…"

"But we have. We taken for granted that you'll always be there and that we won't lose hope because YOUR there…You can't work miracles…"

She smiled.

"I'll try, though. You just don't see it. You guys are my world, and to lose that would be worse than this…"

She traced the scar on her plastron.

"…I'll try to make miracles…I guess Donnie was right…I'm meant to be a protector…"

"You don't have to do it alone."

"…I'm not…"

She moved off the wall.

"Come on. Let's go to bed."

After a moment, Leo followed her.

'It's like she doesn't see how tired she is…'

Making sure Leo actually went into his room, she went into her own.

Plopping down on her bed, she sighed as she heard Kyana and Yuki come in.

Yuki meowed cutely, jumping onto her shell, as Kyana curled up at her side as a husky.

'So tired…'

Her eyes drooped, and she tried to fight the sleep.

'I hope they stop staying up so late…It's starting to take a lot out of me…'

Then she was fast asleep, in the world of dreams…

--

Playing her new guitar and the lights going out was not something Cat had been expecting…

'Better not be another alien invasion, or so help me-!'

But it turned out Don had accidentally shorted out something, so she just put the guitar away.

"Sorry, Mikey. But the entertainment system won't be going operational tonight."

"NO! I need my TV time!" He stated over-dramatically.

"I can't go on without it! Someone put me out of my misery!"

"Ya mean OUR misery…And don't mind if I do…"

"Raphael!"

Splinter came out with a tray of lit candles.

"That is enough work for one day."

"But, what are we gonna do? No TV! No video games! How did people live in such a nightmare world?!"

Kyana became a large tigress, and Cat used her heretsu's side as a pillow as the others sat in a circle on the floor.

"Before TV and video games, people survived quite well, Michelangelo. Probably even better. They told stories. And I think we should do just that. Tell stories."

Mikey fell back with a groan, and Cat giggled.

"Silly otouto…"

"Who would like to begin?"

Silence…

"Hey. Maybe Leo and Cat could tell us about their time with the Ancient One." Don suggested.

"Yeah. Ya can tell us all the new ways ya learned ta kick butt." Raph added.

"I wouldn't know where to start…" Leo admitted.

"But there's a story he told us about Hamato Yoshi. You guys might like it." Cat added, sitting up slightly.

"Sure!"

Leo decided to start.

"It's a story about a girl."

"A girl? Does SHE kick butt?"

"Hush, Raphael. Please, Leonardo. Continue."

"Okay…our story begins in Tokyo, back in the early nineteen-sixties…"

Cat settled back to hear the story, smiling.

"Japan was still trying to get back on its feet."

"After an attack from Godzilla?" Mikey asked.

"No. After it's defeat in World War Two. It wasn't uncommon to see orphaned children in the streets, begging for food and money."

Imagining the story, Cat started drifting off into sleep as her subconscious made images of what her brother was describing.

Images of a young Yoshi and his friend rolled before her eyes like a movie, and she was soon fast asleep, unconsciously seeing a 'video'.

It was like a movie going through her head, and she snuggled into Kyana's warm fur.

Once the story was told, everyone looked at the sleeping turtle.

"Why's she look so peaceful? The story was so sad…" Mikey stated.

"She knows what the story brings after." Splinter stated.

"She's been up late recently…She's probably tired." Don noted.

"I'll just take 'er ta bed." Raph stated, standing.

As he picked her up, Kyana following him, he heard Mikey say something almost too soft to hear.

"Maybe she's hurting herself to help us…"


	91. Chapter 91

They knocked on the door to April's apartment, and Cat closed her eyes

They knocked on the door to April's apartment, and Cat closed her eyes.

"Hey, guys. What's wrong with Cat?"

Said turtle was on Raph's shell, too tired to walk.

"J-Just a cold…" She assured, and sneezed…

Raph ended up flying back with her, but HER shell smacked into the wall.

"…O-Okay…maybe a bit worse than a cold…"

Don seemed worse than she did, and couldn't stop blowing his nose.

"I'm just not up to fighting mutants right now…"

"Did you two figure that out before or AFTER you barfed in the Battle Shell?"

"Mikey!"

SMACK!!

"OW!!"

"Adults are talkin'."

Cat nearly fell off Raph's shell, but he caught her.

"April, can ya watch 'em fer us?"

"Of course they can stay here. We weren't going anywhere anyway…"

Cat was put on the recliner.

"Sorry if this was a bad time…"

She yawned.

"Looks like you guys were gonna go on a date…"

"It's alright." April assured.

"If you're sure…"

Cat curled up, and Kyana became a husky to keep her warm.

Don was lead to the couch, and the other three left after saying their goodbyes.

"Come on, sickly mutant ninja turtle. Ya better lie down 'fere ya fall down." Casey stated, helping the purple-banded turtle do so.

Cat twitched, and Kyana jumped to the couch, covering the turtle in order to keep him warm.

"Well, 'e can't be the only one that's warm…"

Casey got a blanket and covered the white-banded turtle, who seemed to shake uncontrollably.

Neither human noticed her clutching her bandaged forearm…

The lights went out, and both turtles seemed in pain at roughly the same time.

"Are you guys okay?"

April touched Cat's forehead, and recoiled.

"Cat, you're on fire!"

"M…My arm…" The turtle forced out, and Kyana seemed to become agitated between them.

Flicking through forms, she seemed to just be everywhere at once.

Monkey-Wasp-Panther-Ocelot-Wildcat-Husky-Fox-Wolf-Tiger-Jackal-Hawk-Eagle-Lioness-Jaguar-Tiger.

Casey had gone to get a flashlight from April's room, and had apparently broken something.

April went to see what was wrong, and Cat turned onto her shell.

Her arm burned, and the skin itself seemed to convulse.

Gritting her teeth, electricity danced around her arm and the convulsion slowed before stopping.

Without fighting the pain, she could see what was happening to Don.

"Donnie!"

His gear snapped off as his muscles grew larger and his teeth sharper.

The only thing that didn't come off as his shell grew spikes and his hands and feet grew claws was his mask.

April and Casey came out as Cat struggled to her feet.

"D-Donnie…"

"St-Stay away from me!"

He ran out, ripping the door off its hinges.

"DONNIE!"

Moving too fast, she fell over, though Kyana caught her.

Standing up again, she headed after him as fast as her shaking body would allow.

April and Casey followed her with a flashlight, and Cat went down into the basement.

"Donnie…Donnie, are you okay?"

Kyana bristled warily.

The heretsu followed his scent, and Cat warily opened a door.

April handed her the flashlight, and the light sweeped over the room.

"D-Donnie?"

He was much larger, more…

Animalistic…

"What the-?"

Casey managed before Don roared.

"Donnie!"

Cat turned around, pushing the two humans out of the room before running out and jumping underneath the stairs.

Kyana stayed by the human's side as Don broke down the door with a roar.

He followed them, catching Casey on the stairs.

Kyana snarled, jumping onto his shell.

This startled him enough to release Casey, and Cat ran to the bottom of the stairs.

"Don't hurt him, Kyana!"

"Cat, it's still Don! Try talking to him!" April yelled down.

Cat touched his shell, and she almost felt it soften under her palm.

"Donnie…it's me…don't do this…I know you don't want to…"

Nothing happened for a moment, but Casey's sudden movement seemed to trigger Don into pouncing.

"DONNIE!"

The two humans ran to get to a phone and call the others, Casey wielding a broom.

Cat tried to follow, but she wasn't as fast as usual.

"Yo! That's my girlfriend! And ya can't have 'er!"

Cat stumbled in, smelling the dust from the broken vacuum, and Kyana snarled.

Casey took April with him, running down another flight of stairs, and Cat got in front of her brother.

"Don't!"

He smacked her away, and she toppled over a chair before landing painfully.

Don went after the humans, and Cat struggled to sit up.

She heard cries and roars and familiar voices, and she struggled to reach the stairs.

She heard an echoed roar as she stumbled down the steps, and Kyana jumped ahead of her.

"What WAS that thing?"

"And where's Don?" Raph added.

"Th-That WAS Donnie…"

The three turtles turned around.

"Kitty! I was worried!" Mikey stated.

"And what do ya mean that was Don?"

"H-He just…transformed…"

She shook, her legs too weak from the recent strain to hold her up anymore.

Landing on her knees, she winced at the pain as Kyana moved to her other side to make sure she didn't fall over.

"…It's time to visit Leatherhead…" Leo stated.

--

Down at Leatherhead's, Cat was resting on the couch as the large crocodile studied Don's bandages and her own.

"They've been exposed to the outbreak mutagen. I'm just not sure how it was introduced into their bloodstream."

"I think I know…" Leo stated.

"Both of them got nasty gashes when we were fighting those mutated cockroaches, remember?"

"But why hasn't Kitty mutated again?" Mikey questioned.

A cry of pain made their heads snap in her direction, and she was gripping her arm to her chest.

"Kitten?!"

She seemed to shiver uncontrollably, and they saw her forearm convulse under the skin.

"Kitty!!"

Electricity danced across the skin, and the convulsing slowed again, but it didn't go away until it had morphed her entire forearm much like it seemed to have with Don's.

Her hand even had claws, and the skin was darker.

She slumped, breathing hard as her skin grew clammy with sweat.

Kyana whimpered in pain as a wolf-dog, nearly howling.

"That seems to be the answer. It seems her bio-electric current is able to fight the mutagen, but it seems to be weakening. She won't last very long."

Leatherhead sighed, gently putting a hand on her forehead.

"…I regret to say that I…can not cure them…"

"What?! NO!!" Mikey exclaimed.

"Man! I'm gonna take Bishop and ram my foot so far-!!"

"Raph! We're gonna find a cure, but first we've got to catch Don. Before he hurts himself. Or anyone else."

"But how are we gonna catch a three hundred pound killer turtle?" Raph asked.

Leatherhead pulled off a tarp, showing a containment unit.

"As you know, Donatello and I have been working together, developing ways to deal with Bishop's mutant threat. We built this containment unit to incarcerate and examine larger mutations. I made this WITH Donatello…I never imagined we would use it ON Donatello…"

Cat sat up.

"…I-I want to help…"

"You're too weak for that. We're leaving you with Master Splinter." Leo stated.

"B-But-."

"No. You'll only get yourself hurt-."

"HE'S MY BROTHER, TOO!!"

Kyana growled weakly as tears built up in her eyes.

"I-I should've known he wasn't okay…I should've known it wasn't just a cold…I-I need to make it up to him…"

Raph crouched down in front of her, making steady eye contact as he cupped her face.

"The only way ya'll help anybody is if ya rest and gather yer strength…If ya use yer chakra now, ya'll be givin' us another problem."

She nodded hesitantly, and he smiled.

"Now we'll just drop ya off 'fere we head out, 'kay?"

She nodded again, and Kyana whimpered.

'Please be okay, Donnie…please…'

--

Cat was forced into her bed, which had been moved to the living room.

With a cool cloth on her forehead and covers weighing her down, her father kept a vigilant watch at her side.

"…You should've told me it had not healed…"

"I'm sorry…" She mumbled drowsily, Kyana curled up on her chest as her father wrapped up her mutated arm and hand.

Kyana perked when the three turtles returned, and the two were led to Leatherhead's, where April and Casey already were.

Seeing her gentlest, pacifist brother raging in the containment unit ripped a whole through her heart, and she managed to reach it.

"…Donnie…"

Putting a hand on the smooth glass with her bandaged arm, she shuddered.

'If I succumb to the mutagen…I'll be the same…maybe worse…'

Splinter seemed as sad as she was.

"I can sympathize…I know what its like to be a monster…" Leatherhead stated.

"You're not a monster, Leatherhead…" Cat assured.

'…But I'm turning into one…'

Raph brought her into a comforting hug.

"…Poor Donnie…"

"What are we gonna do, Leo?" Mikey questioned.

"Do? This is Donatello. This is our brother. We're going to hunt down a cure for him…no matter what it takes!"

He touched the glass.

"…No matter what it takes…"

Cat leaned her burning forehead against the cool glass as Kyana whimpered.

'…Even if I have to die…I won't let him be something he's not…'


	92. Chapter 92

Kyana always stayed near the containment unit that held Don, usually in the form of a large cat or canine

Kyana always stayed near the containment unit that held Don, usually in the form of a large cat or canine.

The large turtle's constant roaring didn't let Cat sleep, though she refused to go to her room.

She was going to be there and awake when they figured out what to do.

She heard Leatherhead say something, and turned her head slowly.

'H-He's going to die…?'

Kyana lifted her head, barking shortly.

'Once you transform, you'll start dying, too…'

'…That's very comforting, Kyana…THANKS…'

Then she heard what Leo and Splinter were saying…

'Bishop?'

Kyana growled, reacting to Cat's own anger.

'I don't want that basturd anywhere near my brother!'

Leo seemed to read her thoughts.

"It's our only choice."

She backed down slightly.

"He's dangerous…I don't trust him and I never will…If he hurts Donnie in any way, I can't be held accountable for my actions…"

Her mutated claws flexed, and she sat back.

She'd had another convulsion, and she'd mutated up to her shoulder now.

Tightening the bandages, she couldn't help a growl.

"It seems the mutation is slower for you, but it is triggered by your anger…" Leatherhead stated.

"Nice to know…"

"…And you seem to get moody…"

"It's not that. It's just my-."

"We don't wanna know!" Leo insisted, backing up.

A roar and high-pitched screaming made Cat jump up so fast she got dizzy.

"OTOUTO!!"

Kyana jumped to her feet, and snarled, fur rippling to black.

In any other situation, she would've pounced and sunk her fangs in, but…

Everyone ran to the orange-banded turtle's aid, and Raph tried to pull him free.

Splinter seemed to reach the turtle, and Cat put her hand on the glass.

"Let him go, Donnie…I know you don't want to…"

He seemed to relax his hold, and Leatherhead released some gas into the unit.

Mikey was pulled free, and both him and Raph fell onto their shells.

Don still raged, and she rested her forehead against the cool surface.

"He's becoming resistant to the gas. I will have to work on stronger tranquilizers…"

'I can almost feel Donnie…he's so weak…'

"I-I…just wanted to give him some food…" Mikey stated, sitting up.

"That settles it. We're going after Bishop. We're going to make him help Don and Cat." Leo stated.

"Let me take over and we'll have an antidote in three minutes…" Cat stated darkly, closing her eyes.

"An' how exactly are we gonna find 'em? Last I checked, he wasn't listed in the yellow pages." Raph stated.

Kyana straightened, becoming a bloodhound.

"We'll find him." Cat assured.

"I know where he is. Remember, he held me for weeks, torturing me. I vowed to catch up to him one day and even the score."

Leatherhead sighed.

"But I'm afraid the journey is long, and neither of them have enough time…"

Cat smirked.

"Well, I think Donnie can help us with that."

Motioning for the others to follow, she opened a door to a dark room.

"This was the last thing Donnie was working on…"

She flicked the light switch, showing a modified helicopter.

"It should be fast enough." She assured, and everyone got in with Don.

'I hope we get there in time…'

--

"Prep for landing, guys."

Cat sat up straight, and Kyana became a kitten, staying on her shoulders.

Everyone had agreed that the heretsu should not, under any circumstances, shape-shift.

If Bishop ever found out…

It would be worse than him knowing how weak she was now that she was slowly mutating.

"You mean we're going to Area 51?!" Mikey asked.

"Calm down, otouto."

The helicopter landed, and they watched the base from a safe distance.

"Eep! Area 51!"

'Baby…'

"This can't be right! Maybe this ISN'T Bishop's base!" Mikey stated as they ran back down to the helicopter.

Cat tried to soothe her heretsu as Leatherhead assured Mikey that Area 51 was INDEED Bishop's base.

"We're going in there. Me, Mikey and Raph will go in and get Bishop. Splinter, Leatherhead, and Cat stay with Don just in case."

Cat glared lightly, but didn't argue.

Leaning against the helicopter, she watched as they left.

'They'd better be okay…'

She waited a while, and bristled as they came back, followed by Bishop's soldiers.

They led Don through the area, Leatherhead pulling the containment unit.

Kyana kept bristling, barely holding back hisses.

They went into a warehouse, and stopped it next to Stockman's unit.

Leatherhead seemed ready to jump and rip Bishop apart, but Cat caught him with her un-bandaged hand.

"Not yet…" She whispered, pulling him back slightly.

"Where did you get this pathetic containment unit? In a junkyard? Amateurs…"

Cat lifted Stockman up easily, eyes flashing red.

"My brother made that…" She snarled.

"So I'd watch my voice box, Stockman."

Her skin convulsed under the bandages, and she growled in pain as she released him, gripping her shoulder.

"Kitten!"

She shook her head, grinding her teeth before straightening, electricity dancing in and around the bandages.

The convulsing stopped, and the mutation didn't spread.

Releasing the tension in her jaw, she rotated her shoulder.

"Just do whatever you need to…but you hurt my brother, and I won't retract my claws."

"…Ready the cell for transfer…"

The four soldiers started moving the containment unit towards Stockman's circular creation, and they made a strange energy passage between them.

Don seemed to start moving through it, and Kyana bristled, an almost silent hiss reaching Cat's ear.

'What now?'

The door to the unit opened, and Cat bristled when they shocked him.

"Hey-!"

Leo held her back, shaking his head.

She growled, but turned back in time to see Don use the rods to shock his aggressors and break the passage.

Two more came up to try and subdue him, but he used the glass containment unit to smack them away.

"Donnie, don't!" Mikey pleaded.

"Oh crud…" Raph muttered.

"Good one, Stockman!" Mikey added.

The large piece in Don's hand was thrown, smacking Leatherhead into a wall.

"DONNIE!"

More soldiers were called, which meant only one thing…

'They're going to hurt him!'

Running forward, she made a shield of chakra around herself, deflecting bullets.

"Leave him alone! Let me try!"

There was a silence, and Cat turned to her now-large brother.

"Hey, Donnie-boy…it's me, remember?"

He seemed to relax, and she stepped closer.

"You need to calm down, bro…Let me help you, okay?"

He lowered his head, and she rested her forehead on his.

"We need you to get in the unit, okay? I promise…I won't let them hurt you…"

She thought she heard him purr, and he nuzzled her shoulder.

"Don't make this hard, okay?" She muttered, closing her eyes.

She heard something like a machine gun, and her head snapped up, turning to Bishop.

He had a machine gun attachment to his arm.

"Don't you dare." She snarled, and she heard the purr change to a growl in Don's throat.

"Then get him in the containment unit. He's a threat to this base."

Cat got between them.

"I am, too. Are you going to shoot me, too?"

He smirked.

"If I thought it would work, yes."

She shook her head in disgust.

"Well, if you didn't have the antidote, I'd-."

She stopped as her shoulder muscles convulsed, changing…

'It's spreading…'

Don was behind her, and he roared at Bishop.

"Leave him to me…I'll get him in there…" She assured, turning as her shoulder darkened and the darker green seemed to reach for her neck and chest.

"Come on, Donnie-boy…Let's get to that unit, alright?"

She led him gently, seeming small beside him, and opened the door to the unit.

"Get in, Donnie-boy…you'll be okay…"

He stepped in heavily, and she shut the door.

With a sigh, she loosened her bandages and started tying them back on as Bishop ran some tests.

"It seems the animal was right." Stockman stated, earning a growl from Leatherhead.

"He's smarter than YOU, so watch it!" Cat stated.

She didn't want to hear about Bishop…

Wanted to forget he was even there…

"Do you have a cure?"

The silence that followed made her prick, and she felt her heart tighten.

"…Yes…But as I said, I require something of you…"

She turned around.

"Name it." Leo stated.

"A simple errand, really. There is an item I require. A relic that may prove crucial to my work. I want you to retrieve it for me."

Cat narrowed her eyes untrustingly.

"Retrieve it from where?"

"New York. In fact, I believe you already know the woman who holds it. Her name is…Karai."

Cat growled, feeling the mutation trying to speed up.

'If only I could go…She's caused us so much trouble…'


	93. Chapter 93

"Donatello's condition continues to worsen…there's not much time…" Leatherhead stated

"Donatello's condition continues to worsen…there's not much time…" Leatherhead stated.

Cat nodded sullenly.

'Which means mine is too…'

She remembered Leatherhead's words as if he was saying them again…

'_Though your mutation is slower, the deterioration is moving at a faster pace than Donatello's. Once you fully mutate, we will only have twenty minutes or so to administer the antidote.' _

Leaning her head on her hand, she tried to fight back the throbbing headache, and winced as the burning skin touched her palm.

Stockman seemed to be ranting softly to himself, and she lifted clouded purple eyes.

"Don't you have the cure, Stockman?"

He didn't seem to hear her, and her eyes narrowed.

"Stockman, where is it?"

Again, nothing…

Before her father could hold her back, she marched up to him with a growl.

Kyana had gone with her brothers, in case her mood swings revealed what the heretsu really was, so she felt a bit more temperamental than usual.

Pulling the robotic body around with her free arm, she felt her fangs grow in as she growled.

"You'd better get out that cure, or you'd better have a damn good excuse. And 'I lost it', will make me VERY mad…"

"Cure? You stupid animal."

Her eyes flashed red, and she hardly realized her shoulder was convulsing again.

"Agent Bishop lied. There is co cure."

The realization hit her, and she dropped him in surprise.

"He…"

A snarl escaped her, and her other hand grew claws.

"THAT BASTURD!! HE LIED!!"

Leatherhead seemed ready to lose it himself, but when Cat cried out in pain, he snapped out of it.

"Caterina!"

Falling to her knees, she gripped her arm and shoulder as the convulsions spread over her chest and stomach, reaching up her neck as it spread to her other shoulder.

Splinter tried to ease the pain by rubbing her shoulders, hoping to keep her from fully mutating.

Her brain started shutting down as the pain began to build behind her shell.

"S-Sensei…" She forced out, hearing a crack echo through the air.

"Her wings!"

It was all too much…

The transformation was too fast…

"Get her in a containment unit!"

The voices were fading…

She couldn't hold on…

She managed a choked scream of pain before she lost it…

--

She can see…

But everything's so…fuzzy…

Like she's looking through mist at the glass surrounding her…

Trying to move her arm to rub her burning eyes, she panicked when she realized she couldn't.

'I-I don't have control over my body!'

Something screeched against the glass, and a dark scaled wing came into her view.

It was spiked and darker, and looked more menacing than usual.

'Wh-What happened…?'

She remembered the crack.

'Are my wings permanent now?'

Her body moved against her will, smacking the glass as a roar left her throat.

'Stop! Just stop it!' She screamed in her head, but it didn't help any.

She saw her father through red-tinted vision, and her body let loose a sound similar to a whimper.

'S-Sensei…'

She felt herself…fading...

'Father…'

She was clinging to threads, but she wasn't sure what she was fighting…

'D-Daddy…'

--

Once Kyana had gone into spasms of pain, flicking through forms and crying out in pain, Raph KNEW something was wrong.

Holding the cat heretsu to his chest, he kept a mantra in his head.

'Please be 'lright-Please be 'lright-Please be 'lright…'

He just wanted to make sure she was alright, and raced to find Leatherhead.

The two containment units stood strong to the blows, and one filled with gas.

'Kitten…'

The door opened, and he was relieved to see her…

Until she fell forward…

"KITTEN!"

Leatherhead turned on the other unit as he raced to her side.

"Kitten, wake up! Come on! This isn't funny!"

Putting Kyana down, he listened for a heartbeat.

'Come on…Come on…'

He didn't hear one…

"Don't ya die on me!" He threatened, holding back tears.

"We have to go, Raph." Leo ordered.

"B-But she's…"

"Bring her! We'll revive her on the helicopter!"

Raph obeyed for once, lifting her up.

Kyana had stopped moving as well, and he brought her along as well.

Helping Don, they raced onto the helicopter and took off.

Raph immediately laid her down on her shell, and tried CPR.

"It's not workin'!" He growled.

"Raph…it's probably been too long…the antidote probably didn't come in time…" Don reasoned softly, moving to her other side.

"It's not too late!" Raph retorted.

Mikey couldn't help the tears.

"Sh-She shouldn't have gone out like that! I always thought she'd go down fighting the Shredder or Karai or beating up a T-Rex…"

He hugged the motionless form, the tears wetting the scarred plastron.

"Crying isn't going to bring her back…" Don stated, but his own tears were falling, wetting her skin.

Leo sat by her head, and sighed.

"I should've known…maybe we could've done something sooner…"

He rested his forehead on hers.

"…I knew she did too much…"

Raph shook his head.

"She's not dead! She can't be!"

"Raph…her heart's not even beating…" Don reasoned, when a light caught their attention.

Electricity, beating over her chest in a steady rhythm.

"Is she in there somewhere?"

"If she was dead, her heretsu would be gone…" Splinter stated, and everyone looked at the now tiger-shaped heretsu.

Raph shook her shoulder as the electricity pulsed.

"Come on, Kitten…time ta wake up…"

He put an ear to her chest, listening for a heartbeat…

_Be-bump_…

He nearly jumped at the sudden sound.

_Be-bump_…_be-bump_…_be-bump_…

There was a harsh cough, and she opened her eyes blearily.

"…Hey, guys…was there a sleep-over I wasn't aware of?"

"KITTY!!"

Mikey jumped on top of her in his joy, and she felt the wind get knocked out of her.

"O-Otouto…I-I can't breathe!"

He loosened his hold, but refused to let her go.

Sitting up, she looked at everyone curiously as they brought her into a large group hug.

"Hey, guys. You're acting like I died or something."

She saw the grim looks pass over their faces, and she furrowed her brow.

"What? Was it something I said?"

Kyana stood up heavily as a white tigress, and shook her head.

"Kyana. Come here, girl."

The tigress nudged her way in, not changing form, and rested her head on Cat's shoulder.

"Kyana?"

The heretsu purred deep in her chest, and the turtle smiled.

Leaning against Raph's plastron, she let out a relieved breath.

"Are you okay, Donnie?"

"I'm fine." He assured, Mikey and him still hugging her from the front and the side.

"Well, you'd better be…" She said with a mock-stern expression.

Her eyes started to close as sleep crawled up her mind.

Wrapping her arms around her brothers, she smiled sleepily at the others.

"Well…I hope there wasn't any trouble…"

She yawned, eyes drooping.

"Wouldn't have wanted to miss the action…" She murmured, eyes closing.

The others shared glances as Don started falling asleep along with her.

Mikey grinned, snuggling against her.

"Nah…"


End file.
